South Sudan president to attend Ethiopia-hosted peace talks
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir is set to attend scheduled peace talks with rival groups, aimed at ending 20 months of violent civil war in the African country.
Cabinet Minister Elia Lomuro said on Sunday that President Kiir would travel to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, later in the day to sit at peace talks with rebel factions.
Kiir is also expected to hold consultations with regional leaders who have already arrived in the Ethiopian capital for a summit on Monday.
"He is to go and explain to his colleagues the challenges that are now confronting the signing of the proposed signing of the compromise peace agreement," said Lomuro.
Senior South Sudanese government officials and forces loyal to former vice president, Riek Machar, are under intense diplomatic pressure to sign a deal by August 17. Diplomats have warned that any failure to reach a deal could trigger "serious consequences."
Senior South Sudanese government officials have said that it is not possible to strike an effective deal due to divisions within ranks of rebel forces.
"Riek Machar has already been ousted and disowned by his own army and politicians," Lomuro said, adding, "If we are to sign peace then we have to sign a peace with all the factions and all the groups that are fighting."
The new round of talks is being mediated by the United Nations, African Union (AU), the regional eight-nation bloc IGAD, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, as well as China and the "troika" of Britain, Norway and the United States.
South Sudan plunged into chaos in December 2013, when fighting erupted between troops loyal to President Kiir and defectors led by his former deputy, Machar, around the capital, Juba.
The clashes left thousands of people dead and forced almost two million people from their homes.
South Sudan gained independence in July 2011 after its people overwhelmingly voted in a referendum for a split from Sudan.
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