adminfacing the looming threat of UN Security Council sanctions unless they reach a deal after they missed a Saturday deadline.
The protracted talks under African Union mediation began in the Ethiopian capital several months before South Sudan split in July 2011 from what was Africa’s biggest nation, following an independence vote after decades of war.
The leaders met Monday for talks hosted by new Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in the presidential palace, alongside AU chief mediator and former South African president Thabo Mbeki.
“The presidents met, now they are discussing issues, including contested border areas and oil,” said top South Sudanese official Deng Alor.
The pair kickstarted the talks with a two-hour meeting late Sunday, following marathon efforts by their rival delegations to close gaps on a raft of issues left unresolved when the South became independent last year.
Little information has filtered out about progress of the meeting, but both leaders have been seen smiling and chatting in each other’s company. — AFP.
Online Reporter
- Herald
- May 30, 2026
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Musavengana challenges African women to take lead in AfCFTA trade
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