The South Sudanese government has signed a ceasefire agreement with rebels who have been fighting the government since December 15 last year.

The agreement was signed in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa by representatives of South Sudan’s President, Salva Kiir and rebel delegates loyal to ousted vice president Riek Machar. The agreement was signed in the presence of regional peace brokers and diplomats.

Details of the agreement include an immediate end to hostilities and releasing of prisoners accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the government. The hostilities should stop within 24 hours.

Head of the rebel delegation, Taban Deng told reporters after the peace pact that he hoped the deal would pave the way for a serious national political dialogue aiming at reaching a lasting peace in South Sudan.

“These two agreements are the ingredients to create an environment for achieving a total peace in my country, we hope to find a lasting solution in our politics’’, he said.

Government negotiator, Nhial Deng Nhial also said the talks were faced with many challenges and it has not been easy for both sides to reach this agreement.

“We hope to be able to make haste towards an agreement that will end bloodshed, what worries us is whether the agreement on the cessation of hostilities will stick and the capacity of the rebel group to stop fighting’’.

“We would like to take this opportunity to urge the rebel group to heed the voice of reason and abandon the quest for political power through violence’’, he added.

The US and the UK have welcomed the agreement and called it a sense of hope for the newly independent South Sudan.

President Obama was quoted as saying that:”South Sudan’s leaders need to work to fully and immediately implement the agreement and start an inclusive political dialogue to resolve the underlying causes of the conflict.”

Aid workers and analysts believe up to 10,000 people have died since the fighting broke out on December 15 last year.

President Salva Kiir blamed the fighting on his Sacked deputy president, Riek Machar and accused him of trying to overthrow the government.

President Salva Kiir is from the Dinka ethnic group (majority) while Riek Machar on the other hand is from the Nuer ethnic group (minority) and political analyst say the conflict is being fought on these ethnic lines. Many including the UN, UK and the US fears it could descend into a civil war.

Both President Kiir and Mr. Machar were part of the Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) which fought for independence from Sudan but relation between the two worsen in less than 2 years of independence from Sudan.

Neighboring Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni has intervened in the conflict militarily to help neutralized the rebels in what he described as military intervention on humanitarian grounds.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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