Armistice in South Sudan

djoeba - The government of South Sudan and rebel groups in the country have agreed a cease-fire. A treaty to that effect was signed Thursday by the warring parties in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The treaty must bring the 2015 peace agreement to life. That deal collapsed last year when again heavy fighting broke out, the first in the capital Djoeba.

The reason was the resignation of Vice President Machar by President Kiir. He accused Machar of plotting a coup d'état. The result was that Machar became captain of a rebel group. Representatives of both ruffs were present in Addis Ababa.

The struggle has cost the lives of tens of thousands of people. Four million civilians fled. South Sudan is considered the youngest country in the world. It separated in July 2011 from the rest of Sudan. The country has thirteen million inhabitants.