Regional bloc IGAD has called for an end to the conflict in South Sudan and the release of opposition leader Riek Machar from house arrest.
Machar has been in South Africa since July 2016, where he went to seek treatment but has never returned to his country.
IGAD said he should be released so long as he renounces violence and pledged not to obstruct the peace process in South Sudan.
South Sudan has been dogged by conflict since December 2013, following a fallout between President Salva Kiir and Machar, his then deputy.
Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup against his rule, allegations the latter denied but went on to mobilize a rebel force to fight the government.
The war is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands, also forcing millions others to flee their homes.
Early last year, the United Nations ranked South Sudan as Africa’s biggest refuge crisis, coming third worldwide after Syria and Afghanistan.
The international community has been pressuring the warring factions to engage in talks to end the conflict, threatening to impose sanctions.
