Washington and Cairo have disagreed on the best way to end the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region in the remote west of Sudan.
Egypt has asked the United States to give the Sudanese government more time to meet its commitment to stop the Arab militia attacks which have helped displace more than a million people in Darfur.
The US Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is visiting Egypt, has had talks with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Afterwards during a news conference, Mr Powell said that the people of Darfur did not have much time before disease and starvation causes widespread death.
He indicated the US is pushing ahead with a United Nations Security Council resolution threatening sanctions against the Sudanese government.
Peacekeeping mission planned for Darfur
Meanwhile, The African Union has decided to prepare plans for a full-scale peacekeeping mission to the Darfur region of western Sudan.
Sudan's Foreign Minister, Mustafa Osman Ismail, earlier warned that his country's soldiers would fight back if foreign troops were sent.
