A special court in Sudan has sentenced two government soldiers to death for torturing and killing a civilian in the war-torn Darfur region.

The court set up to try war crimes was told that the soldiers - both lance corporals - had detained the man and accused him of being a rebel.

The two men are the most senior soldiers to be convicted by the court.

About 180,000 people have died and two million have fled their homes since the Darfur conflict began in 2003.

Cpl Bakhit Mohammed Bakhit and Cpl Abdul-Malik Abdullah Mohammed were members of the Sudanese army serving in the Darfur, where pro-government militias have been fighting rebels, the official Sudan News Agency (Suna) said.

The court in the town of Al-Fashir found the two defendants guilty of murdering Adam Idris Mohammed Hatim, Suna said.

The soldiers now have two weeks to appeal.

Sudan's special court began hearing cases in June.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) said in June it had credible information about grave crimes committed in Darfur.

ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo told the UN there were cases the court could take up, because of the inactivity of the Sudanese authorities.

The ICC can try those suspected of crimes against humanity when local courts are unable or unwilling to.

PHOTO CAPTION

Africa Union peacekeepers patrol in Sudan's Darfur region November 16, 2005. (Reuters)