The International Criminal Court prosecutor has said he is investigating alleged new war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s western Darfur region during the current conflict that has killed and displaced thousands.

Karim Khan told the UN Security Council that fighting between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces has spilled into Darfur where war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed back in 2003.

He said the country is now “in peril of allowing history to repeat itself,” Khan said.

In 2005, the Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC and Mr Khan said the court still has a mandate under that measure to investigate crimes.

He said people in the vast region are living in fear of their lives, in the middle of conflict and with their homes burning.