Key South Sudan Peace Bid under Way in Ethiopia
Key peace talks between South Sudan's government and rebels got under way in Ethiopia on Wednesday with regional mediators shuttling between delegates from both sides, a statement said.
The talks are aimed at building on a fragile ceasefire agreement that was signed in Addis Ababa on January 23 and addressing the root causes of the nearly two-month-old conflict in the world's youngest nation, which won independence from Khartoum just two and a half years ago.
A statement from IGAD, the regional bloc which is brokering the peace bid, said its special envoys "have continued to consult with members of the two delegations and other stakeholders" during the first day of the new round of talks.
It said the envoys had also been handed a preliminary report on the state of the truce, which each side has accused the other of violating. The statement gave no further details.
Fighting between forces loyal to President Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar erupted in the capital Juba on December 15, and clashes and brutal ethnic violence rapidly spread across the country.
The war has already left thousands dead and forced nearly 900,000 people from their homes.
Source: Agence France Presse
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