AlQa'dah 01, 1436, August 16, 2015, SPA -- The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, arrived in Ethiopia to take part in negotiations with his former deputy turned rival, Riek Machar, as a Monday deadline to secure a peace deal or face international sanctions loomed, dpa reported. The long-running talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa are aimed at ending the bloody civil war that has gripped neighboring South Sudan for 20 months, leaving tens of thousands dead or displaced. The deadline was set by the East African Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the regional bloc mediating the talks, which have frequently broken down, in order to put pressure on the warring parties to reach an agreement by Monday. Sanctions - including arms embargoes, asset freezes and travel bans - could be imposed on both sides of the conflict if a breakthrough is not achieved.
