South Sudan President Kiir, his former vice meet in Ethiopia's capital

As the deadline to finalize the South Sudan peace negotiations is approaching, South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and his former vice, Riek Machar, met on Tuesday at the IGAD-mediated negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Under the mediation of the East African bloc, the final session of the South Sudan peace talks was launched on Feb. 23 towards ending the more than one-year conflict in the world's youngest nation.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has been mediating the South Sudan negotiations towards resolving the crisis erupted in mid-December 2013 in that country.

Despite breaches, the warring parties have signed ceasefire agreements to end the crisis in South Sudan.

Kiir and Machar signed the latest agreement on the Feb. 1 to conclude negotiations by March 5, and towards establishing transitional government of unity no later than July 9 this year.

According to their agreement, the pre-transitional period will begin on April 1.

"The agreed March 5 deadline to conclude negotiations must be respected," said Seyoum Mesfin, IGAD Chief Mediator, at the opening of the final session of the peace talks on Feb. 23.

As the deadline to conclude the negotiations approaches, the two leaders met Tuesday face-to-face in Addis Ababa.

Speaking at Tuesday's meeting, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia, who is also Chair of IGAD, said, "When we last met, in the late hours of Feb. 1, both President Kiir and Dr. Riek Machar assured His Excellency President Kenyatta, and myself, of their fervent commitment to resolve the crisis in South Sudan and come to an agreement by March 5."

"The region and the international community will not stand and watch a humanitarian and political crisis in South Sudan continue, " reiterated Hailemariam.

The Prime Minister underlined that there must be a negotiated settlement in South Sudan that allows the country to move out of this period of crisis and put in place a new political dispensation founded on principles of good governance and stability.

"Today, the UN Security Council is considering a resolution in relation to the situation in South Sudan," he said, "This is a sign of the frustration that the international community feels in relation to the parties in South Sudan, and their continued intransigence in resolving the crisis."

"For my part, the region is also frustrated. The solution is in your hands. Do not throw it away any longer. The consequences of a failure to find a solution will endure for years, and will only weaken South Sudan further. It is only you who can prevent this from happening," noted Hailemariam.

He also called on the leaders to make the necessary compromises so that the crisis in South Sudan is solved expeditiously. Endi