WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir is committed to begin talks with rebel leader Riek Machar, the country's former vice president, to end fighting, a senior U.S. official said on Monday after meeting Kiir in Juba.
"President Kiir committed to me that he was ready to begin talks with Riek Machar to end the crisis without preconditions as soon as his counterpart is willing," U.S. special envoy to South Sudan, Donald Booth, told a conference call with reporters.
Machar told Reuters earlier he was ready for dialogue but Kiir must first release detained political allies. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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