ceasefire 復習
内戦が続いていた南スーダンで、停戦が合意されました。
South Sudan ceasefire declared by Kiir and Machar holding
A ceasefire appears to be holding in South Sudan's capital, Juba, after four days of heavy fighting between rival forces left more than 270 people dead.
The city is quiet, with no reports of helicopter gunships in the sky or tanks on the streets.
President Salva Kiir and his rival, Vice-President Riek Machar, announced a ceasefire which came into force on Monday at 15:00 GMT.
Clashes between troops loyal to the two men had threatened a recent peace deal.
South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011 but its short history has been marred by civil war.
Mr Kiir and Mr Machar are under intense diplomatic pressure to end the violence.
The UN said some 36,000 people had been left homeless by the fighting, with 7,000 of them taking refuge at its compounds.
The US said anyone impeding efforts to end the fighting would be held fully accountable.
The UN called for an immediate arms embargo, as well as attack helicopters to strengthen its 13,000-strong peacekeeping force.
Two Chinese UN peacekeepers and one South Sudanese UN worker were among those killed in the fighting.
US National Security Adviser Susan Rice said: "This senseless and inexcusable violence - undertaken by those who yet again are putting self-interest above the well-being of their country and people - puts at risk everything the South Sudanese people have aspired to over the past five years."
Peace deal shredded
BBC Sudan analyst James Copnall says the latest clashes have traumatised Juba and shredded a peace deal between Mr Kiir and Mr Machar, agreed last August.
He said there were also doubts over how far both men were in command of their forces.
The UN refugee agency urged neighbouring states to keep their borders open for a possible influx of asylum-seekers.
Uganda has tightened security along its border with South Sudan, making it difficult for people to cross, it added.
However, Uganda's military said it it intended to evacuate its nationals trapped in the conflict.
Tens of thousands of Ugandans moved to South Sudan after its independence to take advantage of business opportunities.
以下略
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36772762
今回記事の中で気になった単語は、見出しにある"ceasefire"です。
LDOCEで確認してみると、"an agreement to stop fighting for a period of time, especially so that a more permanent agreement can be made"という意味があることが分かりました。
『ジーニアス英和辞典』第4版(大修館)でも調べてみると、「停戦、休戦(truce)、撃方止めの号令」とあり、"a ceasefire agreement"で「停戦協定」という意味があります。
また、"cease"の意味を同辞書で調べてみると、「(続いていることが)終わる、途絶える」「(人が活動などを)やめる、中止する」「終止」とありました。"without cease"で、「絶え間なく」となります。
ここでは、「終わる」という意味の"cease"に、"fire"がつくことで、「終わる戦火」となり、「停戦」という意味になることが分かります。(Akim)
