WASHINGTON, June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S., British and Norwegian governments said Friday they were deeply concerned by growing tensions between Sudan and South Sudan.
Sudan and South Sudan this year agreed to establish a demilitarized zone along their shared border and address oil disputes. Both sides have worked on and off on security deals with their African partners since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.
The Sudanese Embassy in Washington accused South Sudan of backing rebel forces along the border region.
"The support includes military training, intelligence, vehicles, weapons, fuel and food," the Thursday statement said.
A joint statement issued Friday by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called on both sides to honor their commitments to peace.
"We are deeply concerned at the heightened tension between the governments of Sudan and South Sudan," the statement said.
The United Nations said this week it was dispatching a human rights expert to Sudan to examine the issues there. Conflict in border states Blue Nile and South Kordofan have raised concerns from the world body.
South Sudan gained independence in 2011 as part of a peace deal backed by Western powers in 2005. Oil disputes, ethnic fighting and border skirmishes have threatened to unravel the peace deal.
