WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama warned on Monday the United States would increase pressure on Sudan's government if it did not respond to a US engagement push aimed at securing a peace deal in Darfur.

Obama, in a question and answer session broadcast on YouTube and the White House website, said he still hoped the Khartoum government would accept efforts to broker a deal with rebels to end the human tragedy in the region.

"We continue to put pressure on the Sudanese government," Obama said.

"If they are not cooperative in these efforts, then it is going to be appropriate for us to conclude that engagement doesn't work and we are going to have to apply additional pressure on Sudan in order to achieve our objectives."

"My hope is that we can broker agreements with all the parties involved to deal with what has been an enormous human tragedy in that region."

The Obama administration has said that solving the Darfur issue is a priority.

Last year, it unveiled a new strategy on Darfur and offered the Sudan government US engagement if it cooperated to end "genocide" and "gross human rights abuses" in the region.

The United Nations says up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have fled their homes since the ethnic minority rebels in Darfur first rose up against the Arab-dominated Sudan government in February 2003.

Khartoum says 10,000 people have been killed.

Sudan is due to hold a presidential and parliamentary election in April, the first polls in 24 years -- a milestone that Washington says it will be closely watching as it adjusts its policy on Sudan.