South Sudan President, Rebel Chief Reach Cease-Fire Deal
by VOA News May 09, 2014
South Sudan's president and rebel leader have agreed to a cease-fire deal following growing international pressure to end months of ethnic fighting in the country.
Mediators in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, say President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar met face-to face Friday for the first time since violence erupted five months ago, shaking hands and praying together.
The mediators from the East African bloc IGAD say the two men promised to cease all hostilities. They say the men also agreed that a transitional government offers the best chance to take the country forward. There were no immediate details on who would be part of an interim administration.
Negotiations have dragged on for several months with little progress, while violence has killed thousands and displaced more than 1.2 million people.
In a report released Thursday, the United Nations said both sides may have committed crimes against humanity.
Amnesty International said its researchers saw a mass grave in the town of Bor containing as many as 530 bodies.
The unrest was sparked by a power dispute between Kiir and Machar, his former deputy who was fired in July.
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