IGAD chief mediator Seyoum Mesfin says the international community may impose a peace agreement on the warring parties if they fail to resolve the contentious issues in the peace process.

IGAD gave the warring parties until today to reach a peace agreement.

President Salva Kiir and Dr Riek Machar have been meeting since Tuesday to try to agree on the reintegration of forces, system of governance and the structure of the government during the transitional period.

They are meeting again this evening to agree on the issues.

Mr Mesfin says an agreement will be imposed on the two leaders if they fail to reach an agreement.

“We will have a forum where it might force these pastries to sing an agreement, which is not theirs,” he said.

“It is a better option than war; it will not be a bad peace. It is advisable for peace to be agreed upon, but we cannot let people go on killing each other and abandon them.

“Is abandoning an option? It cannot be and the world cannot stand on the sideline and observe mass killing going on.”

Ambassador Seyoum says the European Union, the African Union, China and the United Nations representatives will be at the forum that could make a decision to impose a peace agreement.