Senior Egyptian officials have been holding talks with a coalition of Sudanese rebels and opposition parties fighting against the government in Khartoum.

It's the first time that the leadership of the Sudanese National Democratic Alliance has been received in Cairo.

A spokesman for the coalition said the discussions with the Secretary General of Egypt's ruling party, Dr Yussef Wali were a sign of Egypt's political and moral support.

Egypt has long accused the Islamist authorities in Sudan of sponsoring terrorism, and the BBC correspondent in Cairo says the talks with the opposition coalition coincide with a setback in relations between the two governments.