Sudan president visits South amid efforts to end war

Army spokesman Philip Aguer said it was only a "matter of time" before Bor was recaptured, although rebel spokesman Moses Ruai insisted that it was anti-government fighters who were advancing on the capital.

"Our forces are well organised. They are not just hit and run. The next target is now Juba but I cannot tell you exactly when they will attack Juba, but they are heading there," he said.

The conflict in South Sudan erupted on December 15, pitting army units loyal to Kiir against a loose alliance of ethnic militia forces and mutinous army commanders nominally headed by Riek Machar, a former vice president who was sacked last July.

Machar denies allegations that he started the conflict by attempting a coup, and in turn accuses the president of orchestrating a violent purge.

UN officials say they believe thousands of people have already been killed, and both sides are alleged to have committed atrocities. UN peacekeeping bases have also been overwhelmed with civilians seeking shelter, many of them fleeing ethnic violence between Kiir's Dinka community and Machar's Nuer tribe.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir speaks during a press conference in the Sudanese capital Khartoum  …

Peace talks expected to start

The ongoing fighting came as East African diplomats struggled to get both sides, who have sent negotiation teams to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, to start formal negotiations on a ceasefire.

Officials said the chief negotiators for both sides held another face-to-face meeting on Sunday, and had finally agreed on an agenda for the ceasefire negotiations -- which are now expected to begin in earnest on Monday.

A key sticking point appears to be rebel and international demands that the South Sudanese government release 11 officials close to Machar so they can participate in the talks, aimed at putting in place a truce as well as ceasefire-monitoring mechanisms.

The South Sudanese government, however, has repeated that the rebel suspects would not be freed and should face justice.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged rival southern factions not to use the Addis talks for buying time.

"Negotiations have to be serious, they cannot be a delay, (a) gimmick in order to continue the fighting and try to find advantage on the ground at the expense of the people of South Sudan," Kerry told reporters on Sunday while on a visit to Jerusalem.

The United States, which was instrumental in helping South Sudan win independence, urged South Sudan's government to "release political detainees immediately".

Ethiopian government spokesman Getachew Reda said brokers were trying to convince South Sudan's government to release the 11 detainees as a "goodwill gesture" and that a possible compromise could be for the detainees to be transferred to IGAD custody.

• Politics & Government
• Unrest, Conflicts & War
• South Sudan
• Sudan

Source http://news.yahoo.com/sudan-president-visits-south-amid-efforts-end-war-100702222.html