South Sudan: fighting continues despite ceasefire

(Vatican Radio) South Sudan's army and rebel forces are trading blame for the violation of a ceasefire agreement, just hours after it came into effect. Fighting was supposed to stop 24 hours after the signing late Friday. The United Nations confirmed that there had been fighting in the area of the contested town of Bentiu, and said that shooting came from both sides.

Both army and rebels also reported clashes elsewhere.

Fighting in South Sudan began in December of last year, after months of tensions sparked by the South Sudanese president, Salva Kiir's decision to remove his longtime political rival, Machar, from the office of deputy president.

Both the government and rebel forces say they are committed to the ceasefire, though each side accuses the other of not being in full control of their forces in the field. South Sudan only became independent from Sudan in 2011, after decades of war and years of uneasy truce. Listen: