South Sudan: Government Agrees To End Fighting

South Sudan has moved closer to a complete ceasefire to end the conflict that has forced 120,000 people to flee their homes.

The government of the world's newest country agreed on Friday to end hostilities, which have seen at least 1,000 people killed, after a meeting of East African leaders in Kenya.

President Salva Kiir agreed "in principle" to stop hostilities and to negotiate with his former Vice President Riek Machar, who is accused of orchestrating a failed coup the government says sparked unrest.

Mr Machar was not represented at the meeting and it is not known if he will agree to a full ceasefire.

The leaders said in a joint statement that they "welcomed the commitment by (South Sudan's government) to an immediate cessation of hostilities."

The statement urged Mr Machar "to make similar commitments."

The leaders, which included Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn and Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta said they opposed violent change of government and urged Mr Kiir and his rivals to start peace talks before the end of 2013.

In a speech at the summit, Mr Kenyatta had noted that there was "a very small window of opportunity to secure peace" in South Sudan, where fighting since December 15 has raised fears of full-blown civil war.

South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011 after decades of a brutal war of independence.

The young country has been plagued by corruption, ethnic tension, and a power struggle within the ruling party that pits Mr Kiir against Mr Machar.

Mr Machar, the alleged leader of renegade forces now in control of some parts of South Sudan, remains a fugitive wanted by the military.

The country's army declared a victory on Friday with an army spokesman telling Reuters it had defeated rebels loyal to Mr Machar in Malakal, a city in the north east of the country, after four days of intense fighting.

The number of internally displaced people continues to rise, with many seeking shelter at UN compounds across the country.

The top UN humanitarian official in South Sudan, Toby Lanzer, said earlier this week that he believes the death toll has surpassed 1,000.

On Christmas Day, the government announced it had recaptured the city of Bor.

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