World powers and regional states have struggled to find leverage over the warring factions in South Sudan, despite United States (US) and European sanctions on some military leaders and African threats of punitive actions. US Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from eight African nations meet in Nairobi on Monday to discuss ways to prevent South Sudan from sliding back into civil war and advance a political transition in Somalia. "We will ... talk about how we move forward in trying to implement peace in this country," a senior State Department official said of South Sudan. Violence flared when Machar withdrew his forces from the capital Juba in July and was sacked by Kiir as vice president. On Monday, Kerry will meet Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta before joining foreign ministers from Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Djibouti, Tanzania, Somalia and Ethiopia to discuss South Sudan and Somalia, where there are concerns that delays in the approval of new election rules could dampen its recovery from conflict.

Source: dna August 22, 2016 03:11 UTC