U.S. sanctions both sides of S. Sudan conflict

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned two people on opposing sides of the ethnic violence in South Sudan, showing the growing frustration in Washington with leaders in a country it helped create.
  
Thousands of people have been killed and more than 1 million have fled their homes since fighting erupted in the world's newest nation in December between troops backing President Salva Kiir and soldiers loyal to his sacked deputy, Riek Machar.
  
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Peter Gadet, an army commander loyal to the rebel leader Machar, and Major-General Marial Chanuong, a government military commander. The designation freezes any of their assets in the United States and blocks U.S. people or companies from dealing with them.

Also on Tuesday, The U.N. secretary-general said that South Sudan's rebel leader Riek Machar had been invited to Ethiopia for peace talks and that would "try his best" to go by the end of the week.
  
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, the second world leader to visit Juba in less than a week to mediate between the warring sides, said he was told by Machar that his remote location could prevent him reaching Addis Ababa by May 9 - the date when he and President Salva Kiir had been asked to arrive.
  
"I expect the prime minister (of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Deslegn) will facilitate dialogue between the two leaders," Ban told a news conference in Juba, after saying Kiir had confirmed his readiness to meet Machar.

Earlier, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon flew into South Sudan to urge government troops and rebels to end more than four months of fighting.

REUTERS