War, hunger darken South Sudan third anniversary

South Sudan's warring leaders called on each other to restart peace talks yesterday, all the while trading blame for a raging civil war that marred independence celebrations in the world's youngest nation.
"Put down your guns and come home," President Salva Kiir appealed to rebels, in a speech to mark three years of independence, before accusing his rival and former deputy Riek Machar of launching renewed attacks in the nearly seven-month-old civil war that has brought the nation to the brink of famine.
Thousands waved flags at military parades Wednesday, despite having little to celebrate in a nation ravaged by ethnic atrocities.
Analysts say both sides believe the war is still winnable by force.
The streets of the capital were lined with banners proclaiming "One People, One Nation", amid a show of force with a military parade and speeches to celebrate the breakaway from the repressive government in Khartoum.
Three ceasefire deals have failed to stick, and peace talks in luxury hotels in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa have made little progress.
Last month they halted indefinitely, with both sides refusing to attend the discussions, and blaming each other for the failure.
"If we don't stop war many of our people will continue to die," Kiir said, while insisting he was "still committed" to the talks.
However, Kiir also dismissed rebel demands that Ugandan troops propping up his government leave the country, saying they will remain "until I am sure that we are safe and our institutions are protected."
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was one of the few senior regional leaders to attend, with old enemy Sudan sending its second vice-president.