KHARTOUM - Sudan's military and opposition groups have agreed to resume talks on the formation of a transitional council, an Ethiopian envoy said on Tuesday, as an opposition alliance said it was suspending its campaign of civil disobedience and strikes.

Sudan's ruling military council also agreed to release political prisoners as a confidence-building measure, special envoy Mahmoud Dirir told reporters in Khartoum.

The steps appeared to show a softening of positions after talks between the two sides had collapsed in the wake of the violent dispersal of a protest sit-in on June 3.

The crackdown, in which dozens of people were killed, dealt a blow to hopes of a transition towards democratic elections following the overthrow of veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April after months of protests.

The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance on Sunday began an open-ended strike that brought much activity in Khartoum to a standstill.