Washington (AFP) - US President Barack Obama renewed pressure on South Sudan's warring leaders Tuesday, insisting they must accept an August peace deadline or face being sidelined.
Obama said President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar had "squandered" goodwill for the world's youngest nation, one that is now mired in ethnically fueled conflict.
During a recent trip to Ethiopia, Obama held talks with regional power brokers and issued the feuding pair an ultimatum to agree a power sharing peace deal by August 17.
Obama -- who waded in after scores of failed peace attempts and long White House internal debate -- demanded an end to a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and forced more than two million from their homes.
"If they miss that target then I think it is going to be necessary for us to move forward with a different plan, and recognize that those leaders are incapable of creating the peace that is required," Obama said Tuesday.
He was speaking after a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in the White House Oval Office.
A failure to strike a deal is likely to lead to a range of punitive measures including an arms embargo and targeted sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes.
South Sudan, midwifed into existence with US cash and support in 2011, has faltered badly in its infancy and the Obama administration has been accused of abandoning the fragile nation.
Newer articles:
- Sudan court clears South Sudan pastors of spying - 05/08/2015 11:17
- An airline service map shows how bad things are getting in war-torn South Sudan - 05/08/2015 08:08
- South Sudan government denies 'starvation' aid blockade - 05/08/2015 04:20
- South Sudan shutters 2 newspapers in apparent crackdown - 05/08/2015 04:04
- Symbol of freedom runs dry as S.Sudan brewery eyes closure - 05/08/2015 02:07
Older news items
- South Sudan War And School: 400,000 Students Stopped From Attending Classes Because Of Conflict - 04/08/2015 13:07
- Sudan committed war crimes, bombed 26 health facilities: Amnesty International - 04/08/2015 12:56
- Amnesty accuses Sudan of war crimes in South Kordofan - 04/08/2015 11:32
- South Sudan to unveil own plan to end conflict - 03/08/2015 13:14
- Sudan says willing to suspend verdicts against rebels who join talks - 03/08/2015 12:50
Latest news items (all categories):
- U.S. condemns WFP attack, looting of humanitarian assistance in South Sudan - 12/10/2026 14:49
- South Sudan President Bans Officials From Foreign Travel Without Approval After Kenya Visit - 12/10/2026 14:47
- At least 72 Sudanese miners killed in air strike: Rights monitor - 12/10/2026 14:44
- Why did deadly communal clashes erupt in South Sudan, leaving 71 people dead? - 12/10/2026 14:40
- UPDF commissions new medical facilities in South Sudan - 12/10/2026 14:36
Random articles (all categories):
- South Sudan arrests 2 state TV journalists - Huffington Post - 07/01/2013 09:28
- Born in South Sudan - 02/09/2013 17:02
- The Calculated Dissolution of the Global Norms and the Rise of Transactional Realism: A Critical Analysis of the 2026 Munich Security Conference - 23/02/2026 14:06
- Sudan-South Sudan dispute over oil-rich Abyei re-emerge - 25/08/2013 22:30
- South Sudan marks milestone amid stalled progress, growing violence: UN official - 08/03/2022 09:36
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 150869 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 28214 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 25319 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 24549 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 22511 times
