KHARTOUM, Sudan, May 9, 2004 (AP) -- Sudan 's president has ordered a committee to investigate the human rights situation in the western Darfur region, where human rights groups and U.N. officials have accused the government and allied militia of a campaign of "ethnic cleansing."

The official Al-Sudan Media Center on Sunday quoted a top government official as saying President Omar el-Bashir issued a decree forming the fact-finding committee.

"The committee is to deal with the human rights situation in Darfur, and is to be headed by former chief justice Daffalla Hajj Yusuf," the agency quoted senior foreign ministry official Najeeb Khair as saying. "It includes a number of lawmen and experts."

The report gave no further details on the decision, and didn't say when the committee would begin its work or whether it will travel to Darfur. Khair's office didn't return calls seeking comment.

Friday, Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing Sudan of driving more than one million black Africans from their homes in a campaign of bombing, burning and rape carried out by government troops and allied "janjaweed" militia.

The U.N. human rights chief, after briefing the U.N. Security Council on Friday, blamed the militias for a "scorched-earth policy" and spoke of "repeated war crimes and crimes against humanity." He said the government was supporting the militia but stopped short of directly blaming the government for the atrocities.

The government has denied the charges, blaming the fighting on autonomy- seeking rebels it says the janjaweed are fighting.

Khair didn't say whether the formation of the committee was related to the reports. But, meeting with a visiting European Union delegation, he said the E.U. was partly to blame for the deterioration of the situation in Darfur because of economic sanctions on Sudan .

"The formation of the committee is a boost that will reinforce the partnership between the government and the European Union," he was quoted as saying.

He said the underlying cause of the Darfur conflict was the lack of development in the region.

The E.U. delegates asked for a round of talks on the humanitarian situation in Darfur.