The dialogue is meant to end the long-standing political deadlock that followed the military coup last October.

The coalition, known as the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) is among many pro-democracy groups that have been boycotting the face-to-face talks with the military leaders, which kicked off on 8 June.

The US embassy in the Sudanese capital Khartoum said representatives of the military and the FFC's central committee met on Thursday “to exchange views on how to solve the current political crisis, as well as on a process that leads to a democratic transition”.

The embassy welcomed the commitment of the parties to put the nation's interests first and to engage other stakeholders.

It said the meeting was not a substitute for the dialogue that the African Union, the UN and the East African regional grouping, Igad have been facilitating in seeking a return to democratic rule.

Since 2019, the FCC coalition had been sharing power with the military, but a coup ended the power-sharing arrangement last October.