South Sudan peace talks collapse, suspended indefinitely

South Sudan’s warring leaders failed to reach a deal to end more than a year of civil war, mediators said, with the latest collapse in peace talks paving the way for possible sanctions. Ethiopia’s prime minister said South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar missed a deadline to reach a peace agreement by midnight Thursday, and that further talks on Friday “did not produce the necessary breakthrough.”

Leadership is never easy, but continuing a war flagrantly disregards the interests of you, the people. It is an abdication of the most sacred duty leaders have to you, their people: to deliver peace, prosperity and stability.

Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s prime minister and the chairman of regional body IGAD which is hosting the talks in Addis Ababa

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was “profoundly disappointed” with the failure to reach a peace deal. Ban said the leaders failed “to display statesmanship” but he nevertheless called “for the continuation of the negotiations.” South Sudan’s civil war started in December 2013 when Kiir accused Machar, who had been sacked as vice president, of attempting a coup. More than two dozen armed groups - including government soldiers and allied militia backed by Ugandan soldiers on one side, and a range of rebel factions on the other - have been battling it out since.

South Sudan Africa