The UN said actions carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s civil war amounted to a genocide, with experts warning of further mass atrocities.

Human rights investigators said the RSF encircled El Fasher in an attempt to starve its population, while survivors described being raped in rooms where their recently killed family members lay on the ground.

The report comes as the RSF lays siege to El Obeid, where analysts say similar barbarity is imminent.

There is little sign of an end to the three-year conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and which some describe as the world’s forgotten war. “El Obeid must not become the next crime scene,” the UN said.