South Sudan's Warring Leaders Go Into Negotiations

Leaders from the South Sudan's warring factions are in Ethiopia^[1] in a last ditch effort to sign a peace deal ahead of Monday's deadline to end the country's civil war.

Haile Michael, a spokesman for the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development that is mediating the talks, said Sunday that South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader, former Vice President Riek Machar will meet the leaders from four East African countries pushing for the peace deal. They have set Monday as the deadline for a peace accord but previous attempts to reach agreement have not succeeded, despite international pressure.

The current talks started August 6. South Sudan^[2] was plunged into conflict in Dec. 2013 when troops loyal to Kiir's South Sudan army clashed with rebel fighters loyal to Machar.