South Sudan government and rebels sign ceasefire agreement

The warring factions in South Sudan have agreed on a ceasefire after talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

"These two agreements are the ingredients to create an environment for achieving a total peace in my country," said Taban Deng, head of the rebel delegation, as reported by AFP.



The South Sudanese government has however expressed scepticism over the opposition's ability to control all the militias involved in fighting. Consequently, an "effective monitoring of the truce will be vital once it begins, as tension between the two sides is very high," says BBC.

The agreement also addressed the issue of 11 detainees whom the rebels wanted freed, and whose fate had previously left the talks deadlocked.

UN estimates reveal that there have been considerably more than 1,000 casualties in the month-long conflict with more than 500,000 people forced from their homes.

Further talks will continue on 7 February.