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South Sudan is the youngest nation and came into existence in 2011. He said rebel leader Machar signed the deal first because he believes it is the best workable agreement.

Last week President Salva Kiir requested more time to hold consultations before signing the deal. They promise to open humanitarian corridors and allow “30 days of tranquility” so farmers can sow crops and prevent starvation.

Juba: South Sudan’s president signed a peace deal on Wednesday to end a 20-month conflict with rebels, but he told regional African leaders at the ceremony that he had “serious reservations”.

“We welcome the decision by President Salva Kiir Mayardit to choose peace, and recognise this significant step as the full and final approval of the agreement by the government of the Republic of South Sudan”, said Mary Catherine Phee, the US ambassador to South...

As South Sudan’s president was due to sign a peace pact on Wednesday, his transport minister was in South Africa to sign a deal he hopes will be part of a new inflow of infrastructure investment needed to develop the world’s youngest country. “Now you can see...

The United States proposed on Wednesday implementing a United Nations arms embargo on South Sudan and further targeted sanctions from September 6 unless President Salva Kiir signs a peace deal to end the country’s 20-month conflict.

Ogwu said Nigeria backed an arms embargo and stressed the need for unity in the council.

United States government said President Kiir should join the rebel leader, Machar, by signing the peace agreement to end the 20-month long civil war in the country. The conflict pits Kiir’s ethnic Dinka people against Machar’s Nuer.

President Salva Kiir is scheduled to sign the power-sharing agreement in Juba on Wednesday, alongside the leaders of Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia, but his spokesman said he had reservations.

“There must be consequences for those who continue to stand in the way of peace”, she said, calling for UN Security Council sanctions if the government does not sign the deal within 15 days.

But the US has submitted draft proposals for a UN arms embargo on South Sudan.

Rebel spokesman Stephen Par Kuol told VOA this earlier this week that Kiir refused to sign Monday’s peace deal because he is afraid of power sharing.

That article cited unnamed sources who said that the State Department and U.S. mission to the United Nations had long been open to punitive measures, but that opposition from the National Security Council was responsible for blocking such action from coming sooner.

South Sudan’s rebel leader, Riek Machar, a former vice president, signed the deal last week.

The US on Wednesday then circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution proposing an arms embargo and targeted sanctions against South Sudan if Kiir refuses to ink the peace pact.