Members of the international mediation mechanism known as 'IGAD PLUS' have gathered in Addis Ababa days ahead of a deadline that they set for war leaders Salva Kiir and Riek Machar to sign a peace deal.

“We, the members of IGAD PLUS, have gathered in Addis Ababa as planned for consultations on August 15-16, and the IGAD PLUS Summit on August 17,” reads a statement from the group's members.

The members of IGAD PLUS include the East African IGAD countries, the African Union Commission, China, the European Union, Norway, the UK, US and UN.

Additionally, the statement supports the 'established timeline' with its deadline of 17 August – a deadline that President Salva Kiir has asked the IGAD chairman to change.

“We affirm our collective commitment to this process, and to the established timeline,” says the statement.

The IGAD PLUS members say they expect Kiir and Machar to show up to the negotiations, but the former has not done so.

“We expect the parties to be represented in Addis Ababa by their principals, in order to negotiate in good faith and sign an agreement on 17th of August 2015.”