South Sudan's rival leaders set to meet again in Sudan

The heads of state and government met in Ethiopia and agreed that Riek Machar should be free to leave his house arrest in South Africa. The negotiations to end South Sudan's five-year civil war are on-going as two men are set to meet again in Sudan.

South Sudan's cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro addresses a news conference on the South Sudan negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 22, 2018.
Reuters

South Sudan's cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuro addresses a news conference on the South Sudan negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 22, 2018.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir has arrived in neighboring Sudan to meet again with rival Riek Machar amid fragile efforts to end their country's five-year civil war.

Sudan's state-run news agency SUNA says Machar arrived Sunday in Khartoum.

The rivals last week met face-to-face for the first time in nearly two years in neighboring Ethiopia, but South Sudan's government rejected the idea of Machar returning again as Kiir's deputy.

War-torn South Sudan's population is in a dire situation with some 60% having been displaced. UNICEF's Tim Irwin explains the situation on the ground as peace talks are underway.

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Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the civil war, which has created Africa's largest refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. One peace attempt failed when Machar fled his vice president post, and the country, amid fresh fighting in the capital, Juba, in July 2016.

Kenya is expected to host another round of talks in the weeks ahead.

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