KHARTOUM, Sudan, March 4 (UPI) -- The United Nations said it wants guaranteed access to the Darfur region of Sudan to get a better idea of what's leading to an escalation of violence.
A joint mission of the African Union and United Nations, known by the initials UNAMID, said it was concerned by reports of looting and the displacement of civilians in Um Gunya, a village in the Darfur region.
UNAMID said in a statement it wanted to send peacekeepers to the area to survey the damage and protect civilians, but authorities wouldn't let them.
"Until we can get in there, it's going to be hard for us to determine specific numbers of those displaced or the extent of the damage done," UNAMID spokesperson Christopher Cycmanick said in an interview with U.N. Radio, broadcast Monday.
Sudanese Ambassador to the United Nations Hassan Hamid Hassan said a Security Council decision last month to extend the mandate for a peace monitoring mission was out of step with developments on the ground.
He said his country already ceded territory with South Sudan's independence in 2012 and was working on Darfur peace issues and expected recognition, not repercussions.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is among those wanted for atrocities allegedly committed in Darfur. He's wanted on 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
