The Sudanese government and rebels in the war-ravaged western region of Darfur rebels have agreed a ceasefire as a first step towards ending the violence that has affected millions of people, a senior US official said in the capital, Khartoum.

The government has also agreed to ease entry visa requirements for aid workers, and stop the requirement for exit visas, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico State, who has been in Sudan on a four-day visit, said. He has been leading a delegation from the US advocacy group, the Save Darfur Coalition.

"President [Omar El-] Bashir agreed to the start of a peace process that includes a 60-day cessation of hostilities," Richardson told reporters. "All parties must agree to the ceasefire - the rebel leaders I spoke to said they would. A ceasefire is a critical step toward ending bloodshed in Darfur."

The government, he added, had agreed the ceasefire with the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) – which could allow for a possible agreement on cessation of hostilities. That in turn would encourage the push for an increased United Nations presence in the region.

The ceasefire, which would be enforced by the African Union (AU) and United Nations, would facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and a possible review of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA). "Bashir said he is prepared to amend and expand the DPA if necessary," Richardson said on Wednesday. "I note flexibility in [El-Bashir’s] position," Richardson said. "When I was here five months ago he was dead set against UN troops."

An observer said despite the agreement, the increasing fragmentation of Darfur’s rebel groups would cast some doubt on a ceasefire halting violence on the ground. It was also unclear when the cessation of hostilities would begin.

An upbeat Richardson, however, told reporters: "When I came here to Sudan I had two goals: to try to get UN peacekeeping troops and to promote a ceasefire. After two days of the visit it is my view that what is most important is to set up a ceasefire before the issue of UN troops."

The UN Security Council voted in August to send blue berets to the war-torn region to bolster the AU mission, which has been hamstrung by funding problems and a weak mandate that critics charge does not allow it to protect civilians. But despite intense international pressure, Sudan has rejected a UN presence.

Meanwhile, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has given the AU the first batch of equipment and supplies. The equipment, including night vision goggles, generators, tents and other supplies, is part of the first phase of a package worth US$ 21 million, UNMIS said in a statement on Thursday.

Also included are 105 military staff officers, 33 police advisers and 48 civilians. The second phase will include additional staff and equipment, the statement added. The UN hopes that a force of 17,000 troops and 3,000 police officers will eventually be deployed to support the 7,000 African troops in the region.

An estimated four million people in Darfur depend on humanitarian aid as a result of fighting between government forces, allied militias and rebel groups, according to the UN. At least 200,000 people have been killed and two million others forced to flee their homes over the past three years.