Sudan's army says it has captured a strategic Darfur town after three weeks of clashes with rebels that have left 30 people dead and displaced thousands.
An army spokesman said his forces had entered the town of Muhajiriya and were pursuing fleeing Jem rebels there.
Peacekeepers stayed to help protect the town's 30,000 civilians, many of whom sought shelter at their base.
The UN says at least 300,000 people have died and more than 2.2 million have been displaced since the conflict in Darfur began six years ago.
The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) seized Muhajiriya three weeks ago, sparking fierce fighting.
ICC decision expected
On Sunday the Sudanese government had asked the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force, Unamid, to leave Muhajiriya, indicating that an attack was imminent. But the peacekeepers refused to go.
Sudan regularly challenges the UN's presence in the country, correspondents say.
Sudan's government said rebels were building up forces in the region for an attack to mark the expected decision.
The UN's top human rights official, Navi Pillay, said about 30 people, including women and children, had been killed in the fighting around Muhajiriya, and some 30,000 forced to flee.
PHOTO CAPTION
Map of Sudan locating the town of Muhajiriya
Agencies