South Sudan’s government has signed a ground breaking ceasefire with rebels in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The deal comes after five weeks of fighting between troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and those backing the sacked vice president Riek Machar.
With the help of regional mediators, the two sides have agreed to end hostilities within 24 hours. The ceasefire deal was accompanied by another agreement on the issue of political detainees. The agreement will allow 11 detainees to eventually participate in the peace process, but they must first face certain legal process.
The conflict in South Sudan has turned along ethnic fault lines, leaving thousands dead and hundreds of thousands displaced in Africa’s newest nation.
