The Sudanese government says a section of a newly-developed oil export pipeline in the north-east of the country has been blown up.

A government official said the blast on Sunday had caused damage and a fire, but he did not expect the flow of oil to be disrupted for too long.

He blamed the attack on an opposition faction the Bejah Congress, which is a member of the opposition umbrella grouping, the National Democratic Alliance.

The pipeline, which is backed by an international consortium, was inaugurated last year by President Omar al-Bashir to carry essential revenue-earning exports from oilfields in southern Sudan to a purpose-built terminal near Port Sudan.

An information minister , Amin Hassan Omar, expressed regret that the attack had taken place while the Khartoum government was trying to promote national reconciliation.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service