ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopa (AFP) — South Sudan’s warring parties arrived in Addis Ababa yesterday for talks aimed at ending nearly three weeks of conflict that has left thousands dead, even as fighting continued in the world’s newest nation.

Government and rebel negotiating teams had both arrived in the Ethiopian capital, a source close to the talks said.

UN special envoy Hilde Johnson said in Juba it was “positive that they are sending delegations”, underscoring the dire need for “reconciliation and healing” after the violence that has forced 200,000 people to flee their homes.

“We have seen terrible acts of violence in the past two weeks… and as we know, if there is no one held accountable, there is a major risk that the violence can continue,” she added.

Ethiopia, which is brokering the talks, said they would focus on monitoring mechanisms for a ceasefire. The two sides will begin talks today but formal negotiations may not open for several days, the country’s foreign minister said.

Fighting erupted in South Sudan on December 15, when President Salva Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of attempting a coup.

Machar has denied this, in turn accusing the president of conducting a violent purge of his opponents, and the fighting has spread across the country, with the rebels seizing several areas in the oil-rich north.

On Tuesday they recaptured Bor, the capital of Jonglei state and situated just 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of the capital Juba.

Thousands are feared dead, UN officials say, while close to 200,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes, many seeking refuge with badly overstretched UN peacekeepers.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said residents continue to pour by the thousand out of Jonglei and across the White Nile into Awerial county in neighbouring Lakes state.

“The road to the river is lined with thousands of people, with others waiting for boats to carry them across,” said Francois Moreillon, ICRC deputy head of delegation.

The UN mission also said it was “actively collecting information” on the atrocities to be used for future official investigations.

Kiir has described the war as “senseless”, but has ruled out power sharing with the rebels. The president has also rejected rebel demands that a number of their loyalists, arrested shortly after the violence started, be released.

South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011 after decades of civil war.

Industry sources say its oil production — most of which is bought by China — has dropped by around a fifth because of the fighting.

The United States, a key backer of South Sudan’s independence struggle, has warned of a “very complicated” situation.