Sudan’s army-led government rejected a proposal by a United Nations fact-finding mission for an independent peacekeeping force in the North African country that’s being torn apart by a 17-month civil war.

The Foreign Ministry said protecting civilians “remained a top priority,” and strongly criticized the mission’s other recommendation — for an arms embargo that would affect both Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces militia it’s battling.

The conflict in the mineral-rich country on the Red Sea has increasingly drawn in outside powers and sparked the world’s biggest displacement crisis and largest hunger crisis.

The UN mission on Friday blamed Sudan’s military and the RSF for “large-scale violations, including indiscriminate and direct attacks,” and advised the deployment of “an independent and impartial force” to safeguard civilians.

A global force could be deployed via a UN resolution allowing for internationally funded peacekeeping operations to be assembled and led by the African Union, according to two officials briefed on the matter.

Sudanese military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week, and the two countries announced agreements in energy, manufacturing and port development.

While the war makes any immediate enactments doubtful, the visit may be a boost for al-Burhan’s efforts to build global legitimacy as he fights RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo to lead the nation.