Dafallah Alhaj said the army accepted an initiative being spearheaded by the US and Saudi Arabia to broker a ceasefire, but communication with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) would have to be through mediators, the agency quotes him as saying at a press conference in Egypt's capital Cairo.

On Monday, the UN special envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, told the AP news agency that the two sides had agreed to negotiate a "stable and reliable" ceasefire, with Saudi Arabia being a potential venue for the talks.

The military has continued with air strikes in the capital Khartoum in an attempt to weaken the RSF.

The paramilitaries are said to control most of Khartoum, with hardly any army soldiers - or police officers - on the streets.

Previous attempts by international mediators to broker a truce have failed, with both sides violating it.

South Sudan's foreign minister said on Tuesday that the military and RSF had agreed "in principle" to a new seven-due truce from Thursday.

Since the conflict erupted on 15 April, more than 100,000 people have fled Sudan, and more than 300,00 have been displaced inside the country.