President Obama and other leaders agreed to press fighters in South Sudan to agree to an accord by Aug. 17, and threatened sanctions if they do not comply.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — For President Obama, the birth of South Sudan four years ago was the capstone of his Africa policy.
Four years later, that triumph has degenerated into tragedy amid a ruthless ethnic conflagration that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced more than 2 million others and dashed Obama’s hopes of forging a brighter future for that corner of Africa.
Obama convened a meeting of the region’s leaders Monday to try to halt the conflict in South Sudan, in his most direct personal intervention since the violence broke out more than 18 months ago.