31 January 2014 - A Sudanese military team participating in the monitoring and verification mechanism set by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediators for South Sudan is expected to arrive in Malakal, Upper Nile State.

A member of the IGAD mediation team, Mohamed Ahmed Mustafa al-Dabi, said in Addis Ababa that other IGAD members, including Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda will also participate in the monitoring.

According to the cessation of hostilities agreement signed by delegations representing the pro- and anti-government forces of the conflict, each country will send four monitors to be deployed in Akobo, Bentiu, Bor, and Malakal.

The teams will be responsible for monitoring implementation of a cessation of hostilities on the ground, including freezing of forces and refraining from military action.

The opposition is against the participation of Ugandan monitors, saying they are part of the conflict.