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| South Sudan rivals to open peace talks | South Sudan rivals to open peace talks |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Talks between South Sudan's government and rebels are due to start later on Tuesday, mediators say. | Talks between South Sudan's government and rebels are due to start later on Tuesday, mediators say. |
| The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities, they said. | The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities, they said. |
| The talks are the first since conflict erupted two weeks ago between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy, Riek Machar. | The talks are the first since conflict erupted two weeks ago between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy, Riek Machar. |
| The meeting will take place in Ethiopia, following mediation efforts by East African leaders. | The meeting will take place in Ethiopia, following mediation efforts by East African leaders. |
| On Monday, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni threatened the rebels with military action if they failed to agree to a ceasefire by the end of Tuesday, and begin talks. | |
| Representatives of Mr Kiir and Mr Machar would meet in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to defuse tensions in South Sudan, the Ethiopian government said in a statement. | |
| "The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and peaceful resolution of the current political crisis," the statement added. | "The two sides are expected to reach an agreement on the cessation of hostilities and peaceful resolution of the current political crisis," the statement added. |
| Earlier, Mr Machar told the BBC he would send a delegation to the talks, claiming his forces had captured the key town of Bor. | |
| But while he had agreed to negotiate, he said he would not order his troops to stop fighting. | |
| Mr Machar had previously demanded 11 detainees accused of being co-conspirators in a coup plan be freed before negotiations. | |
| He denies there was a plot - alleged by Mr Kiir. | |
| The fighting initially broke out more than two weeks ago in South Sudan's capital, Juba, and has now spread to many parts of the country. | |
| At least 1,000 people have died and more than 121,600 are believed to have fled their homes. | |
| The situation in Bor is fast-moving, but a government confirmed that the town had fallen to Mr Machar's forces, reports the the BBC's James Copnall from Juba. | |
| A UN spokesman said Bor, the capital of Jonglei state, had come under attack at day break, not far from the town's UN compound. | |
| Mr Machar said his delegation to talks will be headed by Rebecca Nyandeng, the widow of John Garang, who led South Sudanese rebel forces against Khartoum for many years. | |
| Our reporter says as a Dinka she may help Mr Machar challenge the allegation that his rebellion is primarily from his Nuer ethnic group. | |
| Mr Machar's forces are a mix of mutinous soldiers loyal to him and an ethnic militia called the "white army", known for putting white ash onto their bodies as a kind of war-paint. | |
| Observers say the talks are likely to be complicated, as the two sides will have to agree on a mechanism to monitor a ceasefire. |