South Sudan signs ceasefire with rebels

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: AP/Guardian

South Sudan's president has reached a ceasefire agreement with a rebel leader, an African regional bloc said on Friday, after a vicious cycle of revenge killings drew international alarm.

The deal means "an immediate cessation of hostilities within 24 hours of the signing" and "unhindered humanitarian access" to all people affected by the months-long conflict, said a statement by the political bloc known as IGAD, which is mediating the conflict.

Ethnically targeted violence in the world's youngest country broke out in December, killing thousands of people and forcing more than 1.3 million to flee their homes. The UN security council has expressed "horror" at recent killings of civilians.
...
Kiir and Machar have agreed to establish a "transitional government of national unity" that will lead to new elections, the IGAD statement said. The two also agreed to meet again in a month, while IGAD leads talks on the terms of the transition.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/10/south-sudan-signs-ceasefire-with-rebels

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South Sudan: UN pushes for food aid after peace deal

Both signatories to a peace deal in South Sudan have been urged to permit shipments of food aid to reach a population in danger of mass hunger.

Toby Lanzer, the UN's top aid official in the region, said roads and rivers must be opened for emergency relief.
...
The UN estimates that some five million of its citizens are in need of urgent humanitarian aid.
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A statement from the UN's food agency, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), says one-third of South Sudan's population is facing "emergency levels of food insecurity", with some areas of the country also at risk of famine.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27354568

[okaawhatever]

1. I really hope this holds. The people of Sudan and South Sudan deserve peace. Let's hope this is the

beginning of it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. South Sudan ceasefire violated, rebels and government say

The army and rebels in South Sudan have accused each other of breaching a ceasefire, only hours after it was meant to come into effect.

The army said rebels attacked government positions in the early hours of Sunday in the town of Bentiu in oil-rich Unity State.

The rebels said their positions were targeted by ground attack and artillery in Unity and Upper Nile states.
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There has been no independent verification of either side's claims.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27362508