South Sudan’s Warring Sides Agree to Cease-Fire in New Peace Bid
- Pact mentions a yet-to-be finalized power-sharing deal
- Oil-producing nation has been mired in over four-year conflict
South Sudanese rebel leader Riek Machar, right, signs documents as Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, left, is seated in Khartoum on June 27, 2018.
Photographer: Ashraf Shazly/AFP via Getty Images
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar agreed on a permanent cease-fire within 72 hours and signaled they’re prepared for a second attempt at a power-sharing government to end a ruinous more than four-year civil war.
The conflict in the East African nation has claimed tens of thousands of lives, driven about 4 million people from their homes and slashed oil production to about 135,000 barrels per day from 350,000 barrels in 2011, when it seceded from Sudan. Previous cease-fire agreements made by the government and rebels were quickly violated.