Image copyright Reuters Image caption Four million people have been forced to flee conflict and horrendous atrocities

Ululations, song and dance erupted in a packed hall in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, as South Sudan's President Salva Kirr and rebel leader Riek Machar signed what they called the "final final" peace deal.

The two hugged and smiled as they exchanged the signed documents at an extraordinary summit of regional leaders, who have been pushing for the former enemies to end a brutal five-year civil war that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced four million people from their homes.

Image copyright AFP Image caption This is not the first handshake between Riek Machar (L) and Salva Kiir (R)

It has taken 15 long months of shuttling between the region's capitals to negotiate this latest attempt to bring peace to the world's youngest nation.

"As we witness this historic milestone, we remember and grieve for the victims of the violence and hope this agreement closes that dark chapter in South Sudan," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said after the signing.

And it has been a dark and shameful period for the country - with both sides accused of horrendous atrocities. The UN has documented horrific accounts of gang rape, throats being slit and mass shootings.

Amid hyperinflation, aid agencies have warned again that the humanitarian situation in the oil-rich country continues to worsen, with millions facing starvation.

Will the killing stop?

Speaking to the BBC after the ceremony, negotiators from both sides said they realised the task ahead in bring lasting peace for their people.

"Our people are right to doubt us, because we have let them down so many times," opposition negotiator Stephen Par Kuol said.

"But this time around, we are telling the people of South Sudan to count on us to implement this agreement fully."

Image copyright Reuters Image caption The UN is struggling to feed those in need of food and millions face starvation

Martin Lomuro, South Sudan's cabinet affairs minister, agreed that the "severity of the war" had dented confidence.

"But this is much more of an agreement that is designed to lay a foundation for a new country and this is why I feel so good about it because before we haven't had a chance to build a proper nation," he said.

Realistically both sides have reached a stalemate - and run out of money. Plus pressure from South Sudan's neighbours, who are hosting many of those who have fled, has led to a more sober reconciliation.

What are the stumbling blocks?

Despite the optimism, diplomats at the ceremony - many of whom witnessed a similar scene three years ago - expressed concerns about the ability of each side to honour their commitments.

After all, the 2015 power-sharing deal collapsed spectacularly in July 2016, forcing Mr Machar, the rebel leader who had recently been re-appointed vice-president, to flee for his life on foot to the Democratic Republic of Congo. He has not been back to the capital, Juba, since then.

South Sudan crisis in numbers:

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Inside South Sudan's civil war

Politicians: 550 MPs, 35 ministers and 10 deputy ministers under the peace deal

MPs, ministers and deputy ministers under the peace deal Inflation: 161.2% annual (2017-2018). Peak - 835.7% in Oct 2016

annual (2017-2018). Peak - in Oct 2016 Ceasefire deals: At least 10

Number of people displaced: Four million ( seven million in need of assistance)

( in need of assistance) Years at war: Five (plus 32 previously fighting Sudan in secessionist conflict)

(plus previously fighting Sudan in secessionist conflict) Oil production: 130,000 barrels of crude a day (down from 350,000 before the war)

Sources: Igad, UN, Sudan Tribune, Economist, Reuters

"The greatest challenges are yet to come - and the key ingredient still lacking is trust," said David Shearer, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan.

"The personalities signing the agreement have in the past been former friends and foes and from my discussions with all parties, suspicions still remains widespread," he said.

Similar concerns were made by the UK, US and Norway, which have all been instrumental in funding the peace process and the failed transitional government.

UK envoy Chris Trott said a significant change in approach was needed.

"This must include, but not be limited to, an end to violence and full humanitarian access and a real commitment to effective and accountable implementation, demonstrated by robust and enforcement mechanisms."

Is the deal different from the one signed in 2015?

Not really. It is all about power sharing between the two main rivals in a transitional government to be established in the next eight months.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Rebel fighters are to be demobilised and reintegrated into the army

It will then last for three years, after which general elections will be held.

The expanded government will have Mr Kiir remaining as president while Mr Machar will take up one of the five new posts of vice-president.

Other armed groups, political parties and interested entities like civil society groups and religious leaders will also have a place in the expanded government and the reconstituted parliament.

Unlike the previous deal, the country will have a unified army with the president as the commander-in-chief.

The last one fell apart when the two rival armies fought in Juba. This agreement sets out a timeframe for demobilisation and eventual reintegration.

Will this new agreement hold?

The next few days and weeks will be crucial for the warring parties as they need to cease all fighting in line with the preliminary agreements reached over the last few months.

Reports of fighting came within hours of Mr Kiir and Mr Machar signing one such deal in August.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Many South Sudanese hope the new deal will breathe life into the economy

How fast Mr Machar returns to Juba will also be key - he has been in exile for two years.

His team says he will go back as soon as he is assured of his safety on the ground - and that is not at all clear.

A 4,000-strong Regional Protection Force (RPF) was promised two years ago - with a boosted mandate to guarantee security in the capital. According to the UN, 60% of these troops have been deployed to help the nearly 8,000 UN soldiers already in South Sudan.

However, Mr Shearer warns that there's no further funding for the remaining troops and so it is highly unlikely that there will be more boots on the ground in coming weeks and months.

But the negotiators say the leaders will be able to overcome their mistrust of each other once they actually start the task of rebuilding the crippled nation together.

"Confidence comes with working together and interacting together and reconciling - and even giving up something," says Mr Lomuro.

"So whatever grievances you have if we discuss things in an honest manner, we will develop that confidence."</s>, ADDIS Ababa, Ethiopia, Sep 13 – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a much-anticipated peace deal on Wednesday, the latest attempt to end five years of a vicious civil war that’s torn the world’s youngest nation apart.

Seated before a roomful of regional leaders, diplomats and officials convened in the Ethiopian capital, the two men signed a document meant to end a conflict that began in 2013 and quickly spiralled into a regional crisis.

Hopes were high that the agreement, the details of which were not announced, will end the war which has cost the lives of tens of thousands of people, pushed millions to the brink of starvation and scattered refugees across East Africa.

“The eyes of the world are upon us as the South Sudan leaders commit today to press for reconciliation and lasting peace in their country,” said Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the start of a brief but delayed closed-door meeting after which Kiir and Machar emerged to sign the document.

The agreement was greeted with applause and ululations from the delegates, but also concerns from some parties that it might not be honoured.

Since the civil war began in December 2013 — following Kiir’s claim that Machar was plotting a coup — the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional bloc, chaired by Ethiopia, has taken the lead on peace negotiations, to little effect.

The last peace pact collapsed in July 2016 during days of fighting in the capital Juba that forced Machar to flee for his life.

Speaking prior to the agreement’s signing, David Shearer, head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, sounded a note of caution.

“With the signing of this revitalised agreement, we should publicly acknowledge it is but one step on the road to peace, but one which lays the foundation for all that follows,” he said.

His fears were echoed by Britain’s Chris Trott, who spoke for the Troika bloc that also includes Norway and the United States and provides key funding to the peace process.

“We remain concerned about the parties’ level of commitment to this agreement,” he said, citing recent fighting in the northwestern city of Wau and the deaths of 13 aid workers in South Sudan this year alone.

The US last week said that 107 aid workers and 13 journalists had been killed since the war began.

“The Troika is committed to peace in South Sudan. But in order to be convinced of the parties’ committment, we will need to see a significant change in their approach,” Trott said.

After decades of civil war, South Sudan voted to leave its northern neighbour Sudan in 2011, becoming the world’s youngest country.

The split deprived Sudan of most of its oil reserves, and production was disrupted by the outbreak of war in South Sudan just two years after independence.

International frustration with the warring parties peaked in July, when the UN Security Council slapped an arms embargo and sanctions on two military officials to encourage South Sudan’s leaders to turn away from the battleground and seek a diplomatic solution.

Efforts to revive the failed IGAD peace talks began in earnest in June this year with a face-to-face meeting between Kiir and Machar in the Sudanese capital Khartoum that led to the signing of a fresh ceasefire.

The peace deal comes as once-feuding governments in the wider, volatile Horn of Africa region move to settle long-held grudges.

In July, Eritrea and Ethiopia ended a two-decade-long border dispute, normalising relations and paving the way for Eritrea’s expected return to IGAD.</s>South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader, Riek Machar, signed a peace agreement on Wednesday in …Read more via Premium Times Nigeria – https://ift.tt/2p0pro2 Get more World News</s>ADDID ABABA (Reuters) - South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace deal on Wednesday in the margins of a summit in Ethiopia.

South Sudan plunged into a devastating war two years after its 2011 independence, when a political dispute between Kiir and Machar exploded into military confrontation.

A previous 2015 peace deal fell apart after Machar forced out of Juba in a battle with government forces that killed tens of thousands.</s>ADDIS ABABA: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace agreement on Wednesday in the margins of a regional summit in Ethiopia.

South Sudan plunged into warfare two years after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011 when a political dispute between Kiir and Machar exploded into military confrontation.

A previous peace deal signed in 2015 fell apart a year later after clashes broke out between government forces and rebels, forcing Machar to leave Juba.

The new agreement, mediated by Sudan, reinstates Machar, a former vice-president, to his former role.

The United States, Britain and Norway, known as the Troika which oversees peace efforts, welcomed the signature of the deal by Kiir, Machar and other groups.

"We hope discussions will remain open to those who are not yet convinced of the sustainability of this agreement," they said in a statement. "We must seize this broader regional momentum to secure peace for the people of South Sudan."</s>South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader, Riek Machar, signed a peace agreement on Wednesday in the margins of a regional summit in Ethiopia.

South Sudan plunged into warfare two years after gaining independence from Sudan in 2011 when a political dispute between Messrs Kiir and Machar exploded into military confrontation.

A previous peace deal signed in 2015 fell apart a year later after clashes broke out between government forces and rebels, forcing Mr Machar to leave Juba.

The new agreement, mediated by Sudan, reinstates Mr Machar, a former vice-president, to his former role.

The U.S., Britain and Norway, known as the Troika which oversees peace efforts, welcomed the signature of the deal by Messrs Kiir, Machar and other groups.

“We hope discussions will remain open to those, who are not yet convinced of the sustainability of this agreement,” they said in a statement.

“We must seize this broader regional momentum to secure peace for the people of South Sudan.”

South Sudan’s civil war erupted in 2013, less than two years after it had gained independence from Sudan.

The war has uprooted a quarter of South Sudan’s 12 million population, ruined the country’s agriculture and battered its economy.</s>South Sudan's President Salva Kiir signed a peace agreement with rebel factions in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday (September 12) to end a civil war that has killed at least 50,000 people, displaced two million and held up the country's progress since it gained independence seven years ago.

South Sudan plunged into warfare two years after independence from Sudan in 2011 when a political dispute between Kiir and then vice-president Riek Machar erupted into armed confrontation.

A previous peace deal signed in 2015 fell apart a year later after clashes broke out between government forces and rebels.

Machar, leader of the main rebel group the SPLM-IO, and other insurgent factions signed the new agreement with the Juba government after assurances that a power-sharing accord would be honoured. The deal, mediated by Sudan, reinstates Machar to his former role as vice-president.

The United States, Britain and Norway, known as the Troika which back peace efforts, welcomed the signing of the deal.

The United Kingdom special representative for Sudan and South Sudan, Chris Trott, said: "(I) hope that the discussions will remain open to those who are not yet convinced of the sustainability of this agreement. We remain concerned about the parties' level of commitment to this agreement and to the cessation of hostilities agreement signed in Addis Ababa in December. In Wau for example, military offensive has been undertaken since the signing of the most recent ceasefire. "

The civil war started in 2013, fuelled by personal and ethnic rivalries. The conflict has killed at least 50,000 people, many of them civilians, according to the United Nations.</s>South Sudan's President Salva Kiir signed a peace agreement with rebel factions in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday to end a civil war that has killed at least 50,000 people, displaced two million and held up the country's progress since it gained independence seven years ago.

South Sudan plunged into warfare two years after independence from Sudan in 2011 when a political dispute between Kiir and then vice-president Riek Machar erupted into armed confrontation.

A previous peace deal signed in 2015 fell apart a year later after clashes broke out between government forces and rebels. Machar, leader of the main rebel group the SPLM-IO, and other insurgent factions signed the new agreement with the Juba government after assurances that a power-sharing accord would be honored. The deal, mediated by Sudan, reinstates Machar to his former role as vice-president.

The stability of South Sudan is also important for Sudan and other neighbouring countries, who fear a new flare up of the conflict could flood them with refugees.

The civil war started in 2013, fuelled by personal and ethnic rivalries. The conflict has killed at least 50,000 people, many of them civilians, according to the United Nations.

An estimated quarter of South Sudan's population of 12 million has been displaced and its economy, which heavily relies on crude oil production, ruined.

The secession of South Sudan also hit Khartoum's economy hard, taking with it most of the region's oil reserves. Khartoum and Juba agreed in June to repair oil infrastructure facilities destroyed by the war within three months to boost production and said a joint force would be established to protect oilfields from attacks by rebels.

The United States, Britain and Norway, known as the Troika which back peace efforts, welcomed the signing of the deal.

“We hope discussions will remain open to those who are not yet convinced of the sustainability of this agreement,” they said in a statement. “We must seize this broader regional momentum to secure peace for the people of South Sudan.”

Mahboub Maalim, executive secretary of the East African bloc IGAD, said the rivals had been at odds over security arrangements and governance but that the final version of the deal had addressed disagreements.

“This is probably the best-negotiated proposal signed so far,” he told Reuters after it was signed at a meeting of IGAD leaders.

Asked what a failure to implement the deal would entail, Maalim said: “We expect the South Sudanese sides to embrace the wind of change in the region.”

The region has seen a series of stunning rapprochements over the past months, including a reconciliation between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

IGAD had been expected to readmit Eritrea as a member on Wednesday, 11 years after Asmara walked out on the body in protest at Ethiopian forces entering Somalia. But that move was postponed for procedural reasons and was likely to take place in the bloc’s next gathering, officials said.</s>South Sudan's President Salva Kiir signed a peace deal with main rebel leader Riek Machar on Wednesday, formally ending a five-year war that killed tens of thousands.

The deal, mediated by Sudan and signed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, reinstated Machar in his former role as vice-president and comes two weeks after a peace deal was officially agreed upon between the government and rebel groups.

"The eyes of the world are upon us as the South Sudan leaders commit today to press for reconciliation and lasting peace in their country," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said ahead of the signing.

About four million South Sudanese were displaced in half a decade of fighting.

Government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told The Associated Press that Kiir, Machar, as well as other opposition parties signed the "final final" deal. He said the agreement is acceptable to all parties and noted Kiir and Machar had an amicable chat.

Previous peace deals have held for only a matter of months before fighting resumed, and in late August Machar caused anxiety among negotiators by refusing to sign.

Wednesday's agreement was met with cautious optimism by David Shearer, head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

"With the signing of this revitalised agreement, we should publicly acknowledge it is but one step on the road to peace, but one which lays the foundation for all that follows," he said.

The three countries that oversaw peace efforts in the country, the United States, Britain and Norway, echoed Shearer's concerns.

"We hope discussions will remain open to those who are not yet convinced of the sustainability of this agreement. We must seize this broader regional momentum to secure peace for the people of South Sudan," they said in a statement.

"We hope discussions will remain open to those who are not yet convinced of the sustainability of this agreement."

Kiir has blamed the collapse of previous peace agreements on foreign influence.

The warring parties have held weeks of talks in Khartoum in search of a comprehensive peace deal to end the conflict.

In June, an initial agreement was signed to end the fighting, but Machar rejected some proposals such as having three different capitals to distribute power.

South Sudan descended into civil war in 2013, shortly after independence in 2011, after Kiir accused Machar, then his deputy, of plotting a coup.

Last July, the UN issued an arms embargo and sanctions on two military officials in an attempt to force the warring parties to the table.

The war has uprooted one-quarter of South Sudan's population of 12 million, ruined the country's agriculture sector, and battered its economy.

South Sudan resumed pumping 20,000 barrels a day of crude oil from the Toma South oilfield last month, where production had been suspended since 2013 because of the civil war.

Income from oil accounts for 98 percent of the country's budget.</s>ADDID ABABA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar signed a peace deal on Wednesday in the margins of a summit in Ethiopia.

South Sudan plunged into a devastating war two years after its 2011 independence, when a political dispute between Kiir and Machar exploded into military confrontation.

A previous 2015 peace deal fell apart after Machar forced out of Juba in a battle with government forces that killed tens of thousands. (Reporting by Aaron Maasho in Addis Ababa Writing by Denis Dumo in Juba Editing by Ingrid Melander)
President of South Sudan Salva Kiir and leader of SPLM-IO Riek Machar reach a peace agreement. Other rebel factions are also expected to join a reformed government.