FIGHTING broke out in South Sudan today fewer than 48 hours after President Salva Kiir and rebel ex-vice-president Riek Machar agreed a ceasefire.

Each side blamed the other for breaking the agreement, which had been backed by US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon.

South Sudan Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juk said that rebels had attacked government positions near Bentiu this morning.

“At 8.30 they also attacked our position … along the road between Bentiu and the Thar Jath oil fields. Our forces repulsed them,” he added, claiming that government troops had killed 27 rebels and captured some arms.

Opposition spokesman Brigadier General Lul Ruai Kong insisted that government forces had attacked rebels in two states.

Brig Gen Kong said that Sudanese militias were aiding government troops around Bentiu.

“The latest violations of the agreement to resolve the crisis in South Sudan show that Kiir is either insincere or not in control of his forces,” he said.

Humanitarian workers had hoped that Friday’s deal would allow people to return home and plant crops.

More than 1.3 million people have fled because of the fighting and aid experts say that if residents do not plant crops by the end of May mass hunger and even famine is likely.

The World Food Programme and Save the Children released a nutritional analysis on Saturday showing that several areas in Unity state, where Bentiu is located, have food needs at “alarming” levels — one step from famine.

Up to 75 per cent of the Unity population faces severe hunger.