Helicopter attacks, raids on refugee camps and rapes carried out by Sudanese forces and Arab militiamen have worsened the situation in Darfur, humanitarian groups say.
The United Nations has told Khartoum to curb marauding Janjaweed militia or face sanctions, but Human Rights Watch said today fresh atrocities disproved Sudanese government claims that security was returning to the western region.
"In many rural areas and small towns in Darfur, government forces and the Janjaweed militias continue to routinely rape and assault women and girls when they leave the periphery of the camps and towns," the New York-based group said in a report.
Human rights groups and Darfur rebels say Khartoum has used the militia, who Darfur residents call Janjaweed, meaning "devils on horseback", in a campaign to crush a rebel uprising and drive the region's non-Arabs from their land.
In a statement from Geneva on Tuesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs accused Sudanese forces of new helicopter attacks, denied by Khartoum, and the Janjaweed of raids on the ground.
"Fresh violence today (Tuesday) included helicopter gunship bombings by the Sudanese government and Janjaweed attacks in South Darfur," the UN agency said.
In a July 30th resolution, the Security Council gave Khartoum 30 days to take measures against the Janjaweed, or face unspecified sanctions. Khartoum denies using the Janjaweed as a proxy force and says they are outlaws.
The Sudanese government says it has deployed 10,000 police to Darfur and last week pledged to set up safe areas for the one million people the United Nations says have been uprooted.
The African Union has deployed observers to Darfur to monitor the ceasefire and The Netherlands will begin to fly 154 Rwandan troops to act as a protection force for the monitors on Saturday.
Sudan has rejected the idea of African Union peacekeeping forces. It says peacekeeping is its responsibility.
The rebel Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation Army took up arms against the central government in early 2003. The UN estimates that Darfur violence has killed 50,000 and left two million short of food and medicine. Khartoum disputes the death toll.