South Sudan peace deal hailed, but will it hold?

Among others voicing caution was John Prendergast, the co-founder of the Washington-based Enough Project, which does advocacy work in eastern and central Africa.

"We will know very quickly whether the parties are serious, as they are right now poised to attack each other in a number of volatile locations on the front lines of the war. It is crucial to deploy the regional civilian protection force and cease-fire monitors to ensure some measure of compliance. If this falls apart, the fighting will enter an even bloodier phase as the stakes continue to increase," Prendergast said.

Asked if Kiir's military would hold up its side of the cease-fire deal, the South Sudan military spokesman, Col. Philip Aguer, responded "definitely." He said the new deal has a better chance of holding since Machar signed it himself. But he acknowledged violence could return if rebels, perhaps if there are some Machar can't control, continue attacks.

"There can still be a problem if they don't listen and don't stop attacking, then definitely the government forces will have to defend themselves," Aguer said.

A statement Friday by the spokesman for Ban, the U.N. chief, demanded that both sides "immediately translate these commitments into action on the ground."

International pressure had been growing for at least a brief cease-fire to alleviate hunger fears. Lanzer included in his tweet the phrase "May Month of Tranquility" as a Twitter hashtag. Aid officials say if residents don't immediately return home and plant crops before seasonal rains arrive in force in June, then the country risks mass hunger and perhaps famine.

Kiir and Machar agreed to establish a "transitional government of national unity" that will lead to new elections, said a statement by the regional bloc IGAD, which brokered the talks. The two also agreed to meet again in a month, while IGAD leads talks on the terms of the transition.

The U.N. Security Council recently discussed sanctions, an arms embargo and a referral of the South Sudan situation to the International Criminal Court as ways to apply pressure.

South Sudan is a largely Christian and animist nation that broke off from the Muslim-dominated Sudan after a 2011 referendum. The fighting is an embarrassment to the U.S., which has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and has been its strongest international champion.

• Politics & Government
• Foreign Policy
• South Sudan
• Riek Machar

Source http://news.yahoo.com/south-sudan-peace-deal-hailed-hold-065731189.html