Battles Rage in South Sudan as Ceasefire Hopes Fade

reliefweb.int - Agence France-Presse - by Waakhe Simon WUDU - December 30, 2013

JUBA, December 30, 2013 (AFP) - South Sudanese rebels allied to ex-vice president Riek Machar sought to retake control of a key town Monday, the army said, as hopes faded that an upcoming ceasefire deadline will be met in the violence-wracked nation.

United Nations peacekeepers said they were concerned over claims that thousands of armed youths from Machar's Nuer tribe were readying to attack Bor, the capital of Jonglei state.

International efforts have tried to stop two weeks of violence, believed to have left thousands dead, from spiralling into all-out civil war.

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