On January 11 three African envoys headed to South Sudan in an effort to end the fighting between rebels and the government. The envoys were tasked with persuading former VP Riek Machar, leader of the rebels, to accept a ceasefire deal to end fighting. Countries in the region are trying to prevent an all-out civil war from erupting in Africa’s newest nation.
In more than three weeks of fighting more than 1,000 people have died and another 230,000 have been driven from their homes. Fighting has also led to South Sudan losing some of its oil production as the majority of the fighting is taking place in the country’s oil producing states.
South Sudan’s Information Minister Michael Makuei, who also heads the government’s ceasefire delegation in Addis Ababa said he believes that once the envoys return to Addis Ababa a deal will be signed.
The envoys however will have to find Machar first as his delegation has not revealed his location, it is believed however that he is in the Jonglei region.
South Sudan reported January 10 that its troops had recaptured a rebel-held northern town of Benitu giving it control of one of the regions where oil production had been halted due to fighting.
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