Agreement reached to end South Sudan conflict

(Vatican Radio) South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel commander Riek Machar signed another ceasefire agreement early Monday morning, bringing them closer to a final deal to end a 15-month conflict that has ravaged the country.

Listen: 

It is the fourth peace deal to try and end a conflict in Africa’s newest, and poorest, country which has killed at least ten thousand people, and displaced 1 ½ million others.

Mediators said the new agreement calls for an immediate end to violence.  It also states a transitional government of national unity will start functioning on July 9th. The African Union and the U.N. Security Council have both threatened sanctions against any party which is proven to be undermining the peace of the country.

The fighting began in  December 2013, between troops loyal to  President Salva Kiir and those loyal to former vice president Riek Machar.

Much of the violence has pitted the ethnic Dinkas, who back Kiir, against the ethnic Nuer, who support Machar. Ethnic tensions have plagued the country since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011.

The two sides are scheduled to hold more discussions on the functions of the provisional government, with April, May and June being set as a pre- transition period.