The attacks resulted in at least 115 deaths, according to a report issued jointly by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN African Union Mission in Darfur.

"The scale of destruction of civilian property, including objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population, suggests that the damage was a deliberate and integral part of a military strategy," it said.

The UN further condemned the attacks as "violations of international humanitarian and human rights law", as they failed to "distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives".

Sudan has been locked in a serious humanitarian crisis since ethnic minority rebels in Darfur took up arms against Khartoum in 2003.

Arab militias aligned to the Sudanese government have been accused of horrendous violence against civilians in quelling the rebellion.

The United States has described the violence in Darfur as genocide.

In its latest report, the UN detailed attacks in four villages which it described as part of "a major military campaign" to regain control of the northern corridor of West Darfur, and to drive out the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group.

It said attacks by armed Arab militia on a village called Saraf Jidad took place on three occasions in January, resulting in the displacement of almost the entire population.

Attackers opened fire on people and torched houses. Food reserves were also deliberately burnt.

At the other three villages of Sirba, Silea and Abu Suruj, aerial bombardments on February 8 were accompanied by ground offensives by armed militia as well as the Sudanese armed forces, it said.

Extensive looting was carried out with "consistent and credible accounts of rape committed by armed uniformed men during and after the attack in Sirba" highlighted.

The UN said it was unable to report on similar attacks in Jebel Moon and other areas, as access to Jebel Moon had been denied by the Sudanese government until March 1.

This is a breach of the government's obligation to allow UN officials access under an agreement signed in February, said the UN.

The report urged the Sudanese government to cease hostilities in the area, and to refrain from "launching deliberate and indiscriminate aerial attacks against civilians".

It also asked all parties in the Darfur conflict to respect their obligations, and to refrain from the use of civilians as "human shields".

Also on Thursday, hardline exiled Darfur rebel chief Abdel Wahid Mohammed Nur was urged to rejoin the peace process in talks with UN and AU officials, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

In December, France threatened to expel Nur -- whose faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement refused to sign the 2006 Darfur peace agreement.

Kouchner said their Geneva meeting had enabled dialogue to re-start.

"It was asked of Nur that he play a full role in the diplomatic process," Kouchner's statement said.

The minister hoped the initiative could "create a lasting dynamic of cooperation between (Nur) and the international community".

The UN says at least 200,000 people have died in Darfur in the past five years and more than two million people have fled their homes.

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