South Sudan’s warring sides agree to permanent cease-fire

South Sudan’s warring sides agree to permanent cease-fire
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, center, and opposition leader Riek Machar, right, shake hands during peace talks at a hotel in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Thursday, June 21, 2018. South Sudan’s armed opposition on Thursday rejected any “imposition” of a peace deal to end the five-year civil war and asked for more time after the first face-to-face meeting between President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar in almost two years. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudan’s warring parties on Wednesday agreed to a permanent cease-fire to take effect in 72 hours, as long-suffering citizens wondered whether this latest attempt at peace would fall apart as well.

South Sudan’s government confirmed the deal was signed after face-to-face talks between President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar in Sudan. The discussions followed their meeting last week in Ethiopia, their first in nearly two years.

The new agreement also calls for the opening of corridors for humanitarian aid, the release of prisoners and the withdrawal of forces. The African Union and East African regional bloc are asked to provide forces to oversee the cease-fire. South Sudan in the three years ahead also will prepare for elections. Meanwhile, Sudan and South Sudan will “immediately rehabilitate the oil fields” central to the economy, which has largely collapsed.

Tens of thousands have been killed in South Sudan’s five-year civil war, which erupted two years after independence from Sudan and has created Africa’s largest refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide and left millions near famine. Multiple attempts at peace deals have failed in the past, and the United States, the country’s top humanitarian donor, has grown increasingly frustrated.

The two sides expressed mixed emotions shortly after the agreement.

“This is the president signing, so everyone in the government will have to implement it,” said government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny. “We’re very happy with this deal.”

Expect a power-sharing agreement in the next couple of weeks, Ateny said.

Meanwhile, opposition spokesman Mabior Garang said there was no guarantee the cease-fire will work. “However, the involvement of the region is more serious now. We are cautiously optimistic.”

The latest cease-fire in December was violated within hours.

The new talks are being mediated by the East African regional bloc and its leaders, with Ethiopia’s new prime minister inviting Kiir and Machar last week for the first round and an awkward embrace. South Sudan’s government emerged saying it rejected the idea of having Machar return as Kiir’s deputy under a power-sharing deal, and the opposition rejected the “imposition” of a deal.

The two sides, however, agreed to meet again this week in Sudan and are set to hold further talks in Kenya.

Some South Sudanese were wary of the new peace deal.

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This article was written by SAM MEDNICK, Associated Press writer.