South Sudanese opposition representatives attend peace talks on the fighting in South.Photo: Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty Images
BREAKING NEWS: South Sudan and rebels signed a ceasefire
By Tekle Mariam
January 23, 2014 [Addis Ababa] — South Sudan government and rebels loyal to former Vice President Dr Riek Machar signed a ceasefire this afternoon in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa to bring to an end to a one month old conflict that has killed over 10,000 people and displaced more than 400,000 according to right groups and UN estimates respectively.
The ceasefire was last week stalled over the presence of Ugandan troops in South Sudan and the future of the 11 political detainees. Two demands the rebel delegation refused to cede.
The agreement per the writing of this report is in the process of being ironed out by the two sides with more details on the modalities of the agreement and it’s implementation yet to be finalised.
However, according to IGAD sources this paper spoke to, the agreement and cessation of hostilities between the two sides will take effect within 24 hours.
More updates on this story will follow soon. (…) More
South Sudan factions “to sign ceasefire”
Government and rebels will sign a ceasefire later on Thursday, the mediator says, after over a month of fighting.
South Sudan’s government and rebels are scheduled to sign a ceasefire on Thursday, the mediator said, after more than five weeks of fighting that has divided Africa’s newest nation and brought it to the brink of civil war.
Fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing the vice president he sacked in July, Riek Machar, erupted in mid-December.
One rebel spokesman in Addis Ababa, where peace talks have been taking place, said they were “very likely” to sign the deal in the afternoon. Mabior Garang, spokesman for Machar’s delegation at the talks, went further, telling the Reuters news agency: “We will sign the deal.”
“There is going to be a signing ceremony … by the South Sudanese parties  at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) today,” mediators from the regional bloc IGAD said in a statement, the AFP news agency reported. (…) More
South Sudan: Factions Set to Sign Cease-Fire
South Sudanese rebels and the government are scheduled to sign an agreement that could end weeks of deadly violence.
The East African regional bloc IGAD says there will be a signing ceremony Thursday for what it calls “an agreement on cessation of hostilities”.
It says the sides will also sign an agreement on the issue of political detainees held by the South Sudan government.
IGAD has spent weeks holding talks in Ethiopia with representatives of South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and anti-government forces.
There was no initial word on the terms of the agreement. Earlier, talks had bogged down over the government’s refusal to release political detainees. (…) More
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South Sudan rivals to sign ceasefire agreement
BBC
South Sudan’s government and rebels are to sign a ceasefire shortly, mediators in Ethiopia say.
The talks had been deadlocked over the issue of 11 political detainees, whom the rebels want to be freed before discussing a ceasefire.
In the past week, government forces have recaptured the two main cities under rebel control.
More than 500,000 people have been forced from their homes during the month-long conflict.
What started out as a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar on 15 December has escalated into full-scale conflict, with reports of ethnic killings. (…) More
