Ethnic violence has surged there as part of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary RSF.

The court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, said the reports included attacks on civilians, mass rapes and the burning of homes and markets.

He said the investigation would be conducted under an existing mandate for Darfur dating back to 2005.

That probe led to genocide charges against Sudan's former President Omar al-Bashir.