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South Sudan ceasefire talks open in Ethiopia South Sudan ceasefire talks open in Ethiopia
(about 2 hours later)
Talks to end the South Sudan conflict have opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's foreign ministry says. Talks to end the fighting in South Sudan have opened in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
Negotiators for the government and rebel sides have been meeting mediators but have not yet held face-to-face talks, it is understood. Negotiators for the government and rebel sides have been meeting mediators but have not yet met face-to-face.
Delegates began arriving in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday but talks were delayed until the full negotiations teams had arrived. Meanwhile, the US has announced a "further drawdown" of its embassy staff in South Sudan because of the conflict.
Meanwhile, the US is moving out some of its embassy staff from South Sudan. At least 1,000 people have died since fighting erupted between supporters of President Salva Kiir and those of his sacked deputy Riek Machar last month.
The state department announced a "further drawdown" of its embassy in Juba, and said it would no longer be providing consular services to US citizens in the country. More than 180,000 people have been displaced, and aid workers say many are living without shelter, clean water and sanitation.
It also urged citizens to leave on an evacuation flight from Juba "to the nearest safe haven country" on Friday. What began as a power struggle between President Kiir and Mr Machar has taken on the overtones of an ethnic conflict, correspondents say.
At least 1,000 people have died and more than 180,000 people have been displaced in fighting that erupted in mid-December. Evacuation flight
What began as a power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy Riek Machar has taken on the overtones of an ethnic conflict, correspondents say. Delegates from both sides began arriving in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday but talks were delayed until the full negotiations teams had arrived.
Aid workers are warning of a potential humanitarian crisis as tens of thousands of people are living without shelter, clean water and sanitation. Ethiopia's foreign ministry announced in a statement on Friday that negotiations had started.
The BBC's Emmmanuel Igunza in Addis Ababa says the rival negotiating teams are in the same hotel but are currently in talks only with mediators.
The mediators are preparing the ground for what they hope will be direct talks later on Friday or into Saturday, he adds.
Observers have said the discussions are likely to be complicated, as the two sides will have to agree on a mechanism to monitor a ceasefire.
Mr Machar refused to stop fighting ahead of the talks. Mr Kiir has already ruled out any power-sharing arrangement with his rival in the longer term.
Meanwhile, the US state department said it had ordered a "further drawdown" of its embassy staff in Juba "because of the deteriorating security situation".
But ambassador Susan Page told Reuters: "We are not suspending our operations. We are just minimising our presence."
However the state department also said that, from Saturday, it would no longer be providing consular services to US citizens in South Sudan.
And it repeated its advice to its citizens to leave the country, announcing a further evacuation flight from Juba "to the nearest safe haven country" on Friday.
South Sudan is the world's newest state. It was formed in 2011, gaining independence from Sudan after decades of conflict.
The latest trouble has its roots in tensions that go back to the years before independence, when rebels were fighting each other as well as for independence.
But what began as a squabble between former fighters turned politicians has taken on an ethnic dimension.
Politicians' political bases are often ethnic: President Kiir is from the Dinka community while Mr Machar is a Nuer.
Fighting was continuing between the rebel and government troops in Jonglei and Unity state as their negotiating teams arrived in Ethiopia.