South Sudan’s Defence Minister, Kuol Manyang, claimed on Friday that the leader of the rebels battling government forces did not have enough control over his fighters to make any form of a ceasefire take hold.
Troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebels backing the Deputy that he sacked in July, Riek Machar, have been fighting since mid-December after Machar had apparently stirred up people to fight in his name. Manyang claims that even if a peace treaty is signed, rebels that are not under the control of Machar will continue creating insecurity for the people and the government.
The two sides are currently negotiating a ceasefire deal in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, but there has been no clear progress. More on this story can be found here.