Peace Pact Signed By South Sudan President Salva Kiir

     South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has signed a peace deal to end a 20-month conflict with rebels on Wednesday.


The presidents of Kenya and Uganda, and the prime minister of Ethiopia, who all helped mediate the negotiations, were at the signing event in the capital Juba.

Rebel leader Riek Machar signed the accord in the Ethiopian capital last week.

Kiir had told the regional African leaders at the ceremony that he had "serious reservations" about the agreement.

With all those reservations that we have, we will sign this document," he told African leaders who had gathered in Juba for the ceremony, speaking shortly before he signed.

Machar is expected to become the First Vice President under the deal.

The conflict erupted in December 2013 after a power struggle between between Machar, an ethnic Nuer, and Kiir, from the dominant Dinka group.

Thousands of people have been killed, many of the 11 million population have been driven to the brink of starvation and 2 million people have fled their homes, often to neighbouring states. It has unsettled an already volatile region.