CRI听力:South Sudan Parties Sign Cease-fire Deal

After long and drawn-out negotiations, the warring factions in South Sudan have signed a ceasefire agreement.

The deal has been struck in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

Seyoum Mesfin represents a coalition of East African countries which sponsored the peace talks.

"The signing of the agreement marks an important milestone in the IGAD led mediation process that began on the third of January. We have achieved a success beginning."

Details of the pact have not been forthcoming at this point.

China's ambassador to Ethiopia, Xie Xiaoyan, was also present at the signing of the cease fire.

"The next step is to implement the two documents agreed by the two parties. So that the ceasefire can actually be carried out and peace can be restored. Both parties need to make efforts to meet each other half way in order to find a comprehensive and sustainable solution."

Factions loyal to former South Sudanese vice-President Riek Machar have been engaged in battles for weeks with those in support of current President Salva Kiir.

While the original fighting started out as a political dispute, the violence later devolved into a tribal battle, as Machar and Kiir originate from different tribal groups.

The threat of an ethnic genocide in South Sudan prompted thousands to seek shelter at United Nations compounds across the country.

Well over a thousand people are believed to have been killed in the weeks of fighting.