The Great Lakes Region has sent in a high-level delegation to Juba to try and negotiate a way out of the violence that has rocked South Sudan for the past two weeks.

The delegation, led by the executive secretary of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, said they are in the country to “talk peace and security”.

Professor Ntumba Luaba, who heads the high-level delegation, told journalists that they are in Juba to assess how best the region can help South Sudan resolve the conflict that has already killed more than 1,000 people.

“South Sudan is our younger member state, the twelfth member state, and we like South Sudan to be in peace,” Professor Luaba said.

The delegation is expected to meet President Salva Kiir and members of the government in order to accelerate the process of initiating dialogue with former Vice-President Dr. Riek Machar.

The Undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Charles Manyang, said the visit by regional bodies and world leaders to Juba shows that “the countries in the region are concerned about what is taking place and want peace in South Sudan”.

South Sudan joined the International Conference on the Great lakes Region when it gained independence in July 2011.

Members of the regional body include, among others, Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic.

Last week, leaders from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda met under the umbrella of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development, IGAD, and called for a ceasefire and unconditional dialogue between President Salva Kiir and Mr Machar.

IGAD mediators have given both sides until Tuesday 31st December to agree to a ceasefire.

South Sudan’s army says about 1,000 soldiers have been wounded.

UN and aid organizations are struggling to supply food and essential items to over 180,000 people displaced by the conflict that started in Juba on the 15th December, 2013.