South Sudan president and rebel leader sign "power sharing" deal

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ADDIS ABABA Sun Feb 1, 2015 4:41pm EST

ADDIS ABABA Feb 2 (Reuters) - South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel commander Riek Machar signed a power sharing agreement on Monday, African diplomatic sources said, edging closer to a final deal to end a 15-month conflict that has ravaged the world's newest country.

Under the agreement, which the leaders signed shortly after midnight, Kiir would remain president in a new administration while Machar would be appointed vice president, two African diplomats who work for the regional IGAD bloc told Reuters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.