An independent fact-finding mission will investigate reported mass killings in the Sudanese city of el-Fasher, the UN announced on Friday.
There has been too much pretence and performance, and too little action from the international community in the face of Sudan's devastating civil war, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said at an emergency meeting in Geneva.
It must stand up against these atrocities - a display of naked cruelty used to subjugate and control an entire population, he added, and gave a stark warning to all those fuelling and profiting from the civil war.
More than 150,000 people have been killed and about 12 million have had no choice but to flee their homes.
As part of the investigations, experts will also seek to identify perpetrators in order to hold them to account.
El-Fasher was captured last month by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group following an 18-month siege. It was the last city in Darfur held by the army and its allies.
The RSF has been accused of targeting non-Arab groups in the city and elsewhere in Darfur - a claim it has denied.
Gruesome footage and photos of horrific atrocities have surfaced online, often seemingly filmed by the culprits themselves. This digital evidence will be analyzed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The people of Sudan, particularly now in el-Fasher, are facing a situation that I never saw before, says Mona Rishmawi, a member of the UN's fact-finding mission on Sudan who has witnessed changes over more than two decades.
The scale of suffering today in Darfur surpasses the Janjaweed militia’s genocide 20 years ago, as organized violence now extends to entire cities and refugee camps housing hundreds of thousands.
Joint G7 statements earlier this week condemned the escalating violence in Sudan, categorizing the conflict as the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
The crisis has further been exacerbated by the international arms supply situation, with allegations of weapons being linked to several nations, notably the UAE, which is accused of supporting the RSF.
This situation remains tense with ongoing military actions and humanitarian needs growing more dire.
Only a small fraction of the population has managed to escape el-Fasher, where recent reports indicate massacres, with evidence visible even from satellite images showcasing the aftermath.
