Both Sudan and South Sudan were on Wednesday also ordered to resume talks within two weeks.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday May 3, 2012 threatened to impose sanctions on Sudan and South Sudan if the two nations fail to halt the current violence in forty eight hours, that is, by today, the BBC said.

The unanimously-backed resolution also called on Khartoum and Juba to resume negotiations on disputed issues within two weeks and agree on outstanding border and sundry issues within three months. Aljazeera Television reported that Russia and China joined the 15-member council to call for a halt to the growing border conflict in support of African Union efforts to halt violence and get peace negotiations started.

The resolution endorses an African Union plan aimed at getting the two countries to step back from the brink of all-out war and resolve their differences. South Sudan responded by announcing a commitment to abide by the UN resolution while Sudan said it was seeking peace with its southern neighbour and hoped it would respond positively.

Deng Alor Kuol, South Sudan's Minister for Cabinet Affairs said his government appreciated the adoption of the resolution and pledged their commitment to comply with its mandated provisions. The AFP news agency quoted Sudan’s UN Ambassador, Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman as cautioning that peace between the two countries will only be achieved by halting all forms of support to and sheltering of proxy rebel and armed groups.

The resolution calls for negotiations to be concluded by August 2012 on critical issues including arrangements on oil transit payments, the status of nationals living in each other’s country, resolution of disputed border areas, demarcation of the border, and agreement on the final status of oil-rich Abyei, an outstanding issue from the 2005 peace agreement.