Sudan says South Sudan foes 'agree on some points'

World
Europe

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and his arch-foe Riek Machar have "agreed on some points" at peace talks in Khartoum, a Sudanese minister said on Tuesday, raising hopes of a deal.

After East African leaders stepped up calls for an end to a brutal civil war in the world's youngest country, a new round of Kiir-Machar talks opened on Monday in Khartoum hosted by Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.

"President Salva Kiir and Doctor Riek Machar, in a closed meeting with President Bashir, have agreed on some points," Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed told reporters.

"The details will be announced tomorrow."

From left to right, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, participate in a peace meeting in khartoum, June 25, 2018. /VCG Photo

The latest push for peace in South Sudan launched by regional leaders last week in Addis Ababa comes as the two warring factions face a looming deadline to avert UN sanctions.

On Monday, Kiir and Machar had indicated their readiness to talk peace as the Khartoum dialogue opened in the presence of Bashir and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

"I have come to really bring this unnecessary war in our country to an immediate end, and I hope that Doctor Riek Machar is ready to see my point," Kiir said.

After Tuesday's meeting with Bashir, Machar told reporters that he needed 48 hours to consult with other South Sudanese opposition groups.

From left to right, South Sudan's opposition leader Riek Machar, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, pose for a group picture before their meeting in Khartoum, June 25, 2018. /VCG Photo

South Sudan's war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced about four million, broke out after Kiir fell out with his then deputy Machar in December 2013, dashing the optimism that accompanied its independence from Sudan just two years earlier.

The two men met last week in Addis Ababa for a first round of talks but without an agreement. Bashir offered to host the second round that is expected to last for two weeks.

Since a 2015 peace deal collapsed in July 2016 with Machar fleeing to South Africa, Kiir's government has gained the upper hand militarily while the opposition has splintered into a myriad of factions.

A landlocked state with a large ethnic mix, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011 after a long and devastating war with Khartoum.

(Cover: South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar attends a news conference with Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed (L) prior to peace talks in Khartoum on June 24, 2018 with South Sudan President Salva Kiir. /AFP Photo)

Source(s): AFP