The lives of hundreds of thousands are under threat and the world has only 14 more days to prevent this terrible tragedy, writes Juan Mendez.
Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese risk murder, rape, or starvation because of the very real prospect of a lethal escalation in violence if African Union military forces leave Darfur at the end of this month.
The AU must extend the mandate of its peace operation in Darfur beyond September.
At the same time, the UN Security Council must act urgently to implement its most recent resolution on Darfur, which calls for a 20,000-strong UN peacekeeping force to strengthen and eventually replace the beleaguered African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS).
The resolution invites the consent of the government of Sudan to this transition.
Yet, the Sudanese government has repeatedly rejected the prospect of admitting UN peacekeepers into the country.
Instead, Sudanese authorities have invited AMIS to withdraw from Darfur at the end of September unless the African Union takes back its publicly-stated support for the transition to a UN force.
Meanwhile, Khartoum submitted to the United Nations a plan it claims will bring stability and protection to civilians in Darfur.
First, the government's plan for military deployment is in violation of both the Security Council resolutions and the very terms of the Darfur Peace Agreement.
Second, the Sudanese government cannot in good faith turn down international efforts to provide an impartial, robust protection force.
With more than 3.5 million Darfurians affected by the conflict, a large-scale deployment of government forces is unlikely to bring little else than more intense violence. Given this situation, the government of Sudan has an opportunity to demonstrate its desire to bring stability and protection to civilians in Darfur by agreeing to a strong international protection force that will help implement the Darfur Peace Agreement and dissuade potential spoilers.
Should the Sudanese authorities persevere in seeking a violent outcome in Darfur, the Security Council must immediately consider imposing targeted sanctions, including against individual members of the government of Sudan.
The Security Council should do everything it can to support the investigations and eventual prosecutions by the International Criminal Court, strongly reminding Sudan that crimes falling under the court's statute being committed today will also be prosecuted.
If it proves necessary, the Security Council should begin discussing broader sanctions, including measures affecting the government's precious oil sector.
The government of Sudan relies on the disunity in the Security Council to avoid the imposition of sanctions. The stakes are enormous: the lives of hundreds of thousands are under serious imminent threat, and the world has only 14 more days to prevent this terrible tragedy, which given the political will, would otherwise be so easy to prevent. There is no viable alternative to a robust international protection force for Darfur. Yet, for the time being, there are also no countries that are ready to send troops into Darfur without the consent of the Sudanese government.
If the "responsibility to protect" populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity adopted by the 2005 World Summit is to mean anything for the civilians of Darfur, Khartoum should receive a strong and unequivocal message that more than two million Darfuris need urgent protection and that preserving their lives should be its most urgent priority.
The only matter that should be discussed in the few remaining days is not whether but how Darfuris will be protected.
The untold suffering they have already endured must come to an end and the loss of countless more lives must be prevented.
Juan E Mendez is the special adviser to the UN Secretary General on the prevention of genocide