The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced during a session of the United Nations Security Council that “crimes are escalating in Darfur,” highlighting the growing concern over gender-based violence.

Khan affirmed that his office will seek “to issue arrest warrants for individuals accused of committing atrocities in the West Darfur region,” where reports of ethnic cleansing by paramilitary forces have emerged during the ongoing conflict that has lasted for 19 months.