South Sudanese rebels refused on Tuesday to sign the latest draft of a peace deal with the Juba government that would end a years-long civil war, a setback after recent breakthroughs in talks.
President Salva Kiir and the leader of the main rebel group, Riek Machar, signed up to a ceasefire and power-sharing agreement earlier this month. An initial deal in June aimed to end fighting that first broke out in 2013.
But Machar and another rebel group refused to sign the latest draft of the agreement, saying that disputes over power sharing and a new constitution had been ignored in the draft.
"This is an unfortunate development that will not reflect well on the impartiality of the mediators and will throw doubt onto the whole process," the rebels said in a statement.
Sudan has brokered talks between Kiir and various rebel groups in Khartoum this year.
(From left to right) Rebel leader Riek Machar, Uganda's President Yoweri Musevenirebel, Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir hold hands during a South Sudan peace meeting as part of talks to negotiate an end to a civil war that broke out in 2013, in Khartoum, Sudan, June 25, 2018. /VCG Photo
Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dirdiri Mohamed told reporters earlier on Tuesday: "We hope that the sides which did not make the final signature today will sign in due course."
"It's not possible to achieve peace without the participation of Machar," he said.
Previous South Sudan peace deals have held for only a matter of months before fighting resumed.
Kiir blamed the collapse of those agreements on foreign influence.