Talks between South Sudan's president, Salva Kiir and his rival Riek Machar, resumed on Monday in the Ethopian capital, Addis Ababa.
"This session of negotiations must make progress, we must end the war," the chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin was quoted by the BBC as saying.
The talks, which began following internal conflict between the government and rebel groups backing Riek Machar in December, came to a halt in June.
Earlier this month the European Union imposed targeted sanctions on officials on both sides, announcing travel bans on the South Sudanese rebel leader Peter Gadet as well as the military commander Santino Deng for ceasefire violations.
The renewed efforts towards a ceasefire come as the UN Security Council last week warned of "catastrophic food insecurity" in the country, describing the situation as "now the worst in the world".
"This session of negotiations must make progress, we must end the war," the chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin was quoted by the BBC as saying.
The talks, which began following internal conflict between the government and rebel groups backing Riek Machar in December, came to a halt in June.
Earlier this month the European Union imposed targeted sanctions on officials on both sides, announcing travel bans on the South Sudanese rebel leader Peter Gadet as well as the military commander Santino Deng for ceasefire violations.
The renewed efforts towards a ceasefire come as the UN Security Council last week warned of "catastrophic food insecurity" in the country, describing the situation as "now the worst in the world".