A long awaited cease-fire between the Sudanese government and rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is expected to be finalized this week in another significant step towards bringing peace to the Darfur region.

A preliminary deal was signed on Saturday in Chad between JEM leaders and Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who said that a full agreement would be signed on Tuesday.

Bashir also announced that death sentences against JEM members involved in a conflict in the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman would be called off.

"Today we signed an agreement between the government and J.E.M. in Ndjamena, and in Ndjamena we heal the war in Darfur," Bashir said.

The deal follows an agreement made earlier in the month between Bashir and Chadian President Idris Deby to end proxy wars between the two countries. Deby was reportedly influential in Saturday's signing as well.

While considered a major step in the Darfur peace process, the agreement doesn't include JEM rebel counterparts the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), who have been heavily involved in recent outbreaks of violence in the region.

The SLA, furthermore, were the main party to sign 2005's Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the terms of which have been mostly ignored.

The Darfur conflict has claimed over 300,000 lives and displaced nearly 2.5 million during its seven year run, according to the U.N.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) have brought charges of genocide and crimes against humanity against Al-Bashir, although the U.N. has not officially recognized it as such.