Khartoum Guilty Of Darfur Crimes :UN

The report condemned both the government and the rebel groups of the abuses in Darfur. (Reuters)

"The situation is characterized by gross and systematic violations of human rights and grave breaches of international law," said the UN Human Rights Council's mission.

"The mission further concludes that the government of Sudan has manifestly failed to protect the population of Darfur from large-scale international crimes and has itself orchestrated and participated in these crimes."

The UN investigators said that while rebel groups were guilty of serious abuses, the "principal pattern is one of a violent counterinsurgency campaign" being waged by government forces and their militia allies.

"Witnesses, victims and observers we met repeatedly confirmed joint action between Government forces and armed militia in assaulting civilian targets in Darfur."

The six-person team, led by Nobel peace laureate and anti-landmines campaigner Jody Williams, was unable to carry out investigations in Darfur itself.

Khartoum refused to grant visas to the team, accusing some of its of bias -- a charge repeated on Sunday by the Sudanese justice minister.

One team member, Indonesia's ambassador Makarim Wibisono, withdrew when he failed to get access to Darfur.

Sudan denies responsibility for abuses and blames them on rebel groups which refused a 2006 peace deal.

The Sudanese government and the main rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), had signed a peace deal to end the bloody conflict.

However, peace has never really been implemented with violence escalating day in and day out as other rebel groups refused to sign up to the deal.

Inadequate

The 35-page report blasted as "inadequate and ineffective" the measures taken by the international community in the face of widespread abuses in Darfur.

The UN says some 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million others driven from their homes in Darfur since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government.

Years of conflict have left the region desolate, depopulated and deprived of the institutions and social networks necessary for any future regeneration, it warned.

"War-torn Darfur ... lacks the most basic essentials for the rule of law, democratic governance, and the progressive realization of economic and social rights."

The UN investigators urged the international community to adopt a "fully unified approach" in addressing Darfur.

The mission urged stronger UN Security Council intervention, sanctions and criminal prosecution to protect the civilian population in Darfur.

"All UN Security Council and Peace and Security Council resolutions should be fully implemented, including those relating to travel bans and the freezing of funds, assets, and economic resources of those who commit violations."

Turning to actions on the ground, it demanded that Sudan "end the targeting of civilians in Darfur, cease all support for Janjaweed/militia forces, and proceed with the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of such forces."

A UN resolution was passed last year banning military flights over Darfur but this has not been enforced.

Led by the United States, Western countries have upped pressures on Khartoum to deploy UN troops in Darfur under UN resolution 1706 to take over from the African Union force.

But Khartoum has adamantly opposed the UN troop deployment, saying it could worsen the situation in Darfur and turn the country into a second Iraq.

Sudan has only agreed to accept non-military support from the UN for the African peacekeepers.

The strongly-worded assessment marks the latest international investigation to accuse Sudan of complicity in Darfur crimes.

On February 27, the International Criminal Court accused Humanitarian Affairs State Minister Ahmed Haroun and militia leader Ali Abd-al-Rahman of committing war crimes in Darfur.

Khartoum, which says it will hold trials of its own, is adamant that it will not hand over anybody to face the court.

• Click to read the UN's report in full