The leaders of two of South Sudan’s neighbours have arrived in the capital Juba hoping to kick start talks between the warring parties.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn were greeted by South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir.

He has called for an end to unrestrained killings and tribal-based atrocities that are thought to have left thousands of people dead.

As the leaders arrived, there were reports of more fighting between the army and rebels in an oil-rich region in the north.

On Tuesday the UN compound in Bor, where South Korean peacekeepers are based, was hit by mortar cannon, fired during a fierce exchange between government forces and rebels a few kilometres away.

Four Nepalese troops stationed at a post protecting the base were reportedly injured.

The area around Bor is said to have become safer since government troops retook the town from rebels on Tuesday.

International efforts have multiplied to try to stop the fighting. The EU is sending an envoy; China has said it will too. The UN is doubling the size of its peacekeeping force.

Tens of thousands of civilians have sought refuge in UN compounds. Many say they have been targeted based on their ethnicity.

Political disputes have fuelled ethnic tensions, leading to warnings of civil war in the world’s youngest state.