"We officially announce the movement's readiness to enter serious political negotiations with the Sudanese government through the Abuja forum according to the agreed agenda," said Mahjoub Hussein, a spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM).

"It (the SLM) announces this in the belief that it aspires to achieve peace in all parts of Darfur and Sudan," he told AFP by telephone from London.

The African Union has been trying to mediate an end to more than two years of conflict between Khartoum and ethnic minority rebels in Darfur, which has left some 300,000 people dead and 2.4 million displaced.

The talks broke off last year over accusations of ceasefire violations by each side and the SLM had said it would not return unless a string of conditions were met.

These included the prosecution of individuals accused of committing war crimes in Darfur and international protection for locals.