Juba declares ceasefire after violence erupted in capital

South Sudan’s Vice President Riek Machar ordered a ceasefire by his forces on Monday, reciprocating a move made his rival President Salva Kiir who had earlier ordered his SPLA army forces to halt fighting, he told the independent Eye Radio.

“The president has declared a unilateral ceasefire, I want to reciprocate the declaration of unilateral ceasefire,” he told the radio, saying he had ordered it to come into effect at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT), two hours after the deadline Kiir had set.

Monday had witnessed some of the heaviest fighting between the two sides, after clashes erupted on Thursday.