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| Africa Horn |
| E. African states threaten South Sudan's feuding sides with curbs |
| 2014-06-13 |
| [OMANTRIBUNE] East African states threatened late on Tuesday to slap South Sudan's warring sides with sanctions unless they cease all military operations in a conflict which has sparked fears that it could spiral into genocide. South Sudan's government and rebels, locked in heavy fighting since mid-December, signed a second ceasefire agreement in May after a previous deal failed to hold. But government forces backing President Salva Kiir and soldiers loyal to his sacked deputy Riek Machar violated the ceasefire hours after it took effect, with the continued bloodshed compounding the worsening humanitarian crisis in the world's youngest country. Fighting has already killed thousands of people and driven more than 1.3 million from their homes. The UN has warned that 4 million people could be on the brink of starvation by the end of the year because violence had disrupted the planting season. On Tuesday, leaders from the Intergovernmental Agency for Development -- the East African bloc brokering peace talks -- held discussions with both Kiir and Machar to push for an end to fighting ahead of negotiations on the formation of a transitional government. "They (Kiir and Machar) agreed fully to commit themselves to the already signed agreements and to complete all negotiations within the coming 60 days and then establish a transitional government of national unity," Æthiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said. |
| Posted by:Fred |