More than two million have been displaced by the violence

Speaking in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, she told the BBC that sexual violence against women had continued at virtually the same level.

Many officials are in denial about the scale of the problem, she added.

A peace agreement between the main rebel group and the Sudanese government was signed in Nigeria on Friday.

While Sudan's politicians and rebel leaders signed the deal in Nigeria, Ms Arbour gave a sharp reminder of the scale of Darfur's problems.

"I was there in the fall of 2004, which was bad enough," she said.

There are continuing attacks on civilians, raids and pillaging of villages Louise Arbour

"We thought then it was at the height of the displaced population's misery. And frankly now, not only there's no improvement in their predicament."

She added that sexual violence, rape of women who collect firewood was showing "virtually the same level of victimisation".

On her last visit to Sudan the UN's top human rights official spoke to women who had been raped by Arab Janjaweed militia.

This time many of those same women had given birth to young babies.

Government responses to the problem often existed on paper alone, Ms Arbour said. with many officials still in denial about the scale of the rape problem.