The leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, John Garang, has held talks in Uganda with a representative of the Sudanese government.

But a rebelspokesman said no progress was made, describing the encounter as a dialogue of the deaf.

It was the first meeting for several years between Mr Garang and Riek Machar, a former rebel commander who became a government ally after signing a peace agreement with Khartoum last year.