Pressure mounts on South Sudan rivals

Two years into South Sudan's civil war, a transitional government was expected to end the conflict which has killed tens of thousands and displacing more than 2.3 million in Africa's youngest state.

Under intense international pressure, the east African regional trade bloc IGAD spearheaded the peace talks and set the terms for the implementation of the deal.

But rebel leader Riek Machar opted out of the initial deadline citing President Salva Kiir's unilateral decision to divide the country into three regions comprising twenty eight states.

International mediators however criticized both Kiir and Machar for lack of comprise to come to an agreement. Former Botswana leader Festus Mogae, who is tasked with overseeing the formation of the transitional government, expressed frustration by the political strategies of both men.

"I plead with you to form the transitional government of national unity without further delay," a visibly annoyed Mogae told a news conference in the South Sudanese capital Juba.

"Restore stability, repair the damage that has been done before it is too late," Mogae added.

Institutions within South Sudan have issued pleas to both Kiir and Machar to settle their political diference.

Head of South Sudanese Episcopal Church, Archbishop Daniel Deng Bull, told DW that the leaders need to unite the country first, then address other underlying issues.

"Please form the government and then discuss the issue of your twenty eight states because we the people are not a party to what happened," Deng Bull said. "We should not be held hostage of what we don't know."

A shaky peace deal

The agreement signed between President Kiir and his rival Machar in August 2015 received endorsement from seven international parties.

Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, known as the troika, played a key role in South Sudan's obtaining independence from Sudan. The three countries also backed the peace agreement.

US representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Keith Harper, said the US will continue to put pressure on the two leaders to find a find a political solution.

"We're going to lead efforts to continue to focus attention on South Sudan," Harper said. "We have to have political leadership in South Sudan. We were as frustrated about South Sudan as anybody."

"We were involved in the Troika in creating South Sudan. And so we have a lot of equities in making sure that it is successful and when I say it is successful I mean is it secure and it is prosperous for the people of South Sudan not for a handful of political leaders," Harper added.