S. Sudan’s rebel chief Machar refuses to sign peace deal with govt

South Sudan’s rebel chief Riek Machar on Tuesday refused to sign a final peace deal, which aims to end a brutal civil war, with the government, according to a Sudanese mediator. The main opposition groups, including the SPLM-IO (Machar faction), refused to sign the final document, demanding guarantees over their reservations, Sudanese Foreign Minister Al-Dierdiry Ahmed said. “South Sudan will not have peace unless these groups sign,” the mediator added. The warring South Sudanese parties have held weeks of talks in Khartoum in search of a comprehensive peace deal to end the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions in the world’s youngest country since it erupted in December 2013, AFP said. Machar and his arch foe, President Salva Kiir, have already inked several agreements, including a permanent ceasefire and a power-sharing deal.