The Sudanese government and the northern branch of the ex-rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) signed on Tuesday a deal to resolve their differences in the embattled border state of South Kordofan.

Heavy fighting has raged in South Kordofan since June 5 between government forces and militia aligned to the ex-rebel army the SPLA.

"The issue of the ceasefire will be discussed (Wednesday). This agreement is a prelude to ending the hostilities ... I hope it was signed in good faith," Malik Agar, who heads the SPLM north and was one of the three signatories to the accord, told AFP.

The two other signatories were top presidential aide Nafie Ali Nafie and the chief African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki.

The framework agreement pledges to pave the way for comprehensive political and security arrangements in the so-called two areas of Blue Nile and South Kordofan state, which lie on the northern side of the border with south Sudan and are home to a large number of SPLM supporters.

The conflict in South Kordofan has dramatically escalated tensions between north and south prior to southern independence on July 9.

Although reliable casualty figures have been unobtainable because of heavy restrictions on the movement of UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, diplomats say the numbers could run into the hundreds.

The fighting erupted following a disputed election for the state governor, which the SPLM's candidate withdrew from alleging fraud, and after the army's insistence on disarming southern-aligned troops thought to number around 40,000 in the two states.

The agreement stipulates that "any disarmament shall be done in accordance with agreed upon plans and without resorting to force."

The SPLA from the two states are to be integrated into the northern army "over a period of time and with modalities to be agreed upon," or demobilised.

It also envisages the immediate formation of a joint political committee to ensure that "the issue of governance in South Kordofan shall be discussed and resolved amicably ... within thirty days."

Senior officials in Khartoum's ruling National Congress Party, which eventually won the South Kordofan election unopposed, have said the SPLM, as the ruling party of the south, should not be allowed to continue in the north in its present form.

Tuesday's agreement affirms the right of the SPLM north to continue as a legal political party.

It also extends beyond July 9 the incomplete "popular consultation process," which gives the residents of Blue Nile and South Kordofan the chance to express publicly how well they believe the 2005 peace accord has been implemented.

The South Kordofan conflict, which has so far displaced more than 70,000 people, according to the United Nations, has shown no sign of abating in recent days.

Church leaders and activists say the army's campaign forms part of a government policy of ethnic cleansing, targeting the Nuba peoples who fought with the SPLA during their 1983-2005 war with Khartoum, claims the government strongly denies.

Two air strikes on the rebel stronghold of Um Dorain took place at around 11:00 am (0700 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a source there, with displaced civilians sheltering under trees to avoid being spotted from the air.

The beleaguered UN peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS), meanwhile, reported separate bomb attacks on other rebel strongholds earlier in the week.

"There were bombings heard in Kadugli this morning, not far from the UNMIS compound," mission spokeswoman Hua Jiang told reporters on Monday.

"In the past few days the attacks have been concentrated on Kauda and Julud. Julud was bombed yesterday," she added.

Jiang also said that, due to movement restrictions imposed by the authorities, it was difficult for the peacekeeping mission to gauge the humanitarian situation in the area.

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