JUBA, South Sudan, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Officials in South Sudan say they began peace talks with a militia leader aimed at ending a two-year-long conflict in which more than 100,000 people have died.
A government spokesman said the talks with David Yau Yau have "a positive beginning this time," the Sudan Tribune reported Wednesday.
The talks are being headed by religious leaders and other members of the Murle tribal group in Jonglei state, who "have taken great strides" to end the conflict, said a spokesman for the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement.
Yau Yau, a member of the Murle tribe, has led a rebellion in Jonglei state against the central South Sudanese government since April 2012. The region has also seen ongoing conflict between the Murle and Lou Nuer tribal groups.
President Salva Kiir Mayardit has sanctioned the talks during talks in the capital, Juba, with Murle community leaders and intellectuals.
Kiir remains committed to ending the conflict peacefully, said Baguoot Amum Okiech, a member of the national legislative assembly.
