S Sudan rebels, govt meet to push for peace

Ceasefire monitors in South Sudan welcomed the first meeting of rebel and government representatives in the capital on Tuesday aimed at ending the civil war but warned of “empty gestures”.

President Salva Kiir and rebel chief Riek Machar have repeatedly accused each other of breaking successive peace deals but say they remain committed to the August 26 agreement, despite missing every listed deadline.

On Monday, an advance team of rebel delegates arrived in Juba, tasked with beginning the formation of a transitional government of national unity - but did not include Machar.

“There is scepticism in many quarters that peace has really come, and there are understandable doubts, that can only be addressed by meaningful action,” said Festus Mogae, who heads the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), set up by the regional IGAD-bloc to ensure the peace deal is implemented.

“Your return indicates the commitment you have to restoring peace and implementing the agreement... Your return is not the end of the road, but the start of another important journey.”