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South Sudan rivals commence peace talks in Ethiopia
South Sudanese rivals started peace talks on Tuesday in a bid to end the conflict that has left the world’s newest state on the brink of civil war.
The talks in neighboring Ethiopia will focus on brokering a ceasefire to halt 3 weeks of skirmishes that have left several people dead and driven more from their homes.
“We have begun our meeting on the cessation of hostilities,” a member of the government delegation told reporters. After opening, the talks quickly took a break to allow consultations in Juba about the release of detained rebels.
The conflict, has pitted President Salva Kiir’s SPLA government forces against elements loyal to former vice president Riek Machar.
Tuesday was the first face-to-face session, after a formal opening ceremony on Saturday, due to delays caused by haggling over the fate of 11 detainees held by the government in Juba. The rebels initially insisted on securing their release before negotiations started.
A diplomat said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a regional grouping of east African nations that initiated the talks, had sent its envoys to Juba to press Kiir to free the detainees.
The trio of envoys is led by Seyoum Mesfin, a former Ethiopian foreign minister, the diplomat said. “They will push for the detainees’ release,” said the diplomat, close to the talks.
