Sudan, S. Sudan clash in border state

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KHARTOUM, Sudan, May 10 (UPI) -- A Sudanese military official said rebel forces from South Sudan were expelled from an area in a town in South Darfur.

Conflict between Sudan and South Sudan has intensified since the south gained independence in July as part of a comprehensive peace agreement reached in 2005.

A spokesman for the Sudanese military said two rebel factions from the south were expelled from South Darfur after seizing control over territory there, the independent Sudan Tribune reports. The state of South Darfur lies along the border separating Sudan from South Sudan.

The U.N. Security Council last week, in a unanimous vote, passed a resolution ordering both sides to return to the negotiating table within two weeks. The Chapter VII resolution authorizes the use of military force if both sides fail to comply.

The Sudanese Embassy to the United States this week issued a statement saying it agreed to the terms outlined by the Security Council. The Sudanese newspaper, however, reports the ruling National Congress Party of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir had issues with some of the language in the resolution.

The 2005 peace agreement brought an end to one of the bloodiest conflict in modern history. Ethnic conflicts, border skirmishes and disputes over oil are threatening to unravel the fragile peace deal, however.