Beijing - The South Sudan crisis is still on-going, although delegates at the peace talks in Addis Ababa have again met face-to-face, according to China Network Television (CNTV), a national web-based TV broadcaster in China.
Mediators say they have narrowed the gap between them but so far, although there's no deal, CNTV reported.
For the past 11 days, the Sheraton Hotel in Addis has hosted these on-off peace talks. The mediators remain optimistic.
"We have harmonised the two papers from the two delegations and at the moment, we are trying to thrash out any issues they may have," said General Lazarus Sumbeiywo, a mediator from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the eight-nation Horn of Africa bloc which is at the forefront of the peace-making efforts.
One big obstacle remains -- Juba's detention of 11 political detainees. South Sudan President Salva Kiir has so far defied international pressure for their release.
Rebel leader Riek Machar, who Kiir sacked in July last year as vice-president on claims of planning to overthrow the government, has defied pressure to drop demands for their release.
Both men look to have dug in, and even for their representatives at these talks, it is deeply frustrating.
Mediators insist they are making progress. But so far, there's no agreement even on common ground - let alone a ceasefire. These talks are now heading into a third week. – SAnews.gov.za-NNN-Xinhua
