(VOVworld) – South Sudan’s warring parties began a new round of talks in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday as an August 17 deadline for a peace agreement looms.

Head of the rebel delegation in Addis Ababa, Taban Deng Gai (L) and the leader of the South Sudan government delegation, Nhial Deng Nhial, at a previous round of peace talks

The talks are being held under the mediation of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Addressing the opening ceremony, Seyoum Mesfin, the IGAD representative, warned that if the deadline is missed, the international community will have to consider new approaches to resolving the conflict.