Sudan on Monday urged South Sudan to tighten its border security to stop alleged cross-border supply lines to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a senior South Sudanese official said.

The demand was delivered in Juba by Malik Agar, Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, during talks with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his deputy for the Economic Cluster, Dr. Benjamin Bol Mel.

The talks also covered a Sudanese proposal to increase oil transit fees for South Sudan, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.

“They have introduced a new ‘sovereign fee’ in addition to the existing transit charges, a move clearly intended to generate more revenue,” the official told Sudan Tribune.

Regarding the security request, the official added: “They allege that the RSF is transporting supplies through our territory to their strongholds in Sudan, specifically in Kordofan and Darfur.”

Publicly, officials from both sides offered few specifics.

South Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Monday Semaya Kumba, confirmed to reporters that the talks addressed economic collaboration and security concerns but did not elaborate. The Sudanese ambassador also reiterated Khartoum’s commitment to deepening ties without providing details.

War between Sudan’s army and the RSF erupted in April 2023, devastating the capital, sparking widespread ethnic violence, and creating the world’s largest displacement crisis.