CAIRO (AP) — Sudan says its Cabinet has ratified a ban on the import of Egyptian animal and agricultural products, a development that's certain to deepen months of tension between the two neighbors over a long-running border dispute.

The official Sudanese news agency, SUNA, says the Cabinet has also required businessmen to import goods directly from the country of origin, not though Egypt — its neighbor to the north.

Sudan first banned Egyptian agricultural imports in September, citing health concerns. It later expanded the ban.

Relations between Egypt and Sudan have recently been fraught with tension, with Khartoum renewing its claim to an Egyptian-held border territory. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir accused Egypt this month of arming rebels fighting against his government in the western Darfur region. Egypt has angrily denied the charge.