KHARTOUM: The United States warned on Friday of a dangerous increase in tensions on the undemarcated border between Sudan and South Sudan after reports of clashes between the two sides.

Washington is “deeply concerned” by the reported incidents in disputed border areas between South Sudan's Upper Nile state and Sudan's Blue Nile, the US embassy in Khartoum said.

These included “reports of Sudanese helicopters crossing into South Sudan and the artillery bombardment by Sudanese armed forces of South Sudanese troops,” it said.

“Additionally, we are also very concerned about the increase in negative rhetoric, which together with these reports of military clashes is leading to a dangerous increase in tension along the undemarcated border.”

The embassy said it had no evidence of “an offensive buildup” on either side of the frontier.

“Our concern is that this increase in tension could lead to accidental confrontation that could quickly escalate,” it added.

Sudan and South Sudan fought along their frontier last March and April.

In September they hailed an end to conflict by signing security and economic agreements but they have not been implemented.

Those agreements, reached with the help of African Union mediation, called for a resumption of oil flows between the two countries and creation of a demilitarised border buffer zone.

“We strongly believe the tension underscores the importance of both parties agreeing to immediately and without conditions establish the Safe Demilitarised Border Zone (SDBZ)” along with a joint verification mechanism, the embassy said.

The United Nations had already told Sudan and South Sudan to activate the monitored SDBZ last May, under a Security Council resolution ordering an end to the earlier border clashes.

Khartoum accuses South Sudan of backing rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

This has been the major obstacle to implementing the September deals and resuming the flow of oil which is particularly vital to the South.

The Juba government stopped oil production more than a year ago, accusing Khartoum of theft during a row over how much the South should pay for shipping its oil through Sudanese pipelines for export.

South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, denies backing rebels on Sudanese soil. It says Khartoum supports insurgents on southern territory.—AFP