South Sudanese government forces launched an offensive on the strategic oil hub of Bentiu in fresh attempts to reclaim the region from the rebels, reports the BBC.
The offensive comes as the South Sudanese president, told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he was ready to hold peace talks with the rebels.
The rebel leader Reik Machar said that face to face peace talks may be counterproductive. Speaking to the Sudan Tribune yesterday, he said,
The offensive comes as the South Sudanese president, told US Secretary of State John Kerry that he was ready to hold peace talks with the rebels.
The rebel leader Reik Machar said that face to face peace talks may be counterproductive. Speaking to the Sudan Tribune yesterday, he said,
“We need to have a peace agreement first with a new constitution. Putting [a] transitional government first is not realistic.”