East African regional body IGAD adjourned direct negotiations between South Sudanese war leaders Salva Kiir and Riek Machar just after midnight last night at a ceremony at which both sides recommitted to an earlier cessation of hostilities agreement.

Early breaking reports by BBC and Reuters that the two sides signed a "power-sharing agreement" were false and have since been corrected. Reuters now reports that rebels say the deal cannot be labeled a "power-sharing" agreement.

Besides signing a re-dedication to the cessation of hostilities, Kiir and Machar have reportedly signed a document outlining the areas in which they agree and disagree on matters pertaining to the formation of the proposed Transitional Government of National Unity.

The text of this document has not yet been made available to reporters. As Reuters reported, "few other details were revealed after frantic late-night talks."

According to Seyoum Mesfin, IGAD chief mediator, the two leaders will resume talks on 20 February. A statement by the Kenyan Presidency says the adjournment will last until 19 February, with the target of reaching a final comprehensive deal by 5 March.

The Kenyan statement also noted that the negotiations leading to the signing ceremony last night were "characterized by tension, intense consultations, disagreements, two postponements and political horse trading."

Salva Kiir, South Sudan's president, is now expected to return home just a week after vowing he would launch a dry season offensive upon his return from Addis Ababa. Speaking to a meeting of his SPLM National Liberation Council supporters last Monday he warned that he would not allow peace talks to "pin us down."

"When I come back from Addis don't expect me to obey your rules that nobody should fight," Kiir said on 26 January, recalling an earlier conversation with one of the IGAD leaders.

Last night the IGAD chief mediator warned that any side which violates the cessation of hostilities agreement will face unspecified sanctions from both the African Union and the United Nations Security Council.

"President Kenyatta, Ethiopian Prime minister Hailemariam Dessalegn and Ambassador Mesfin asked the principals to the conflict to show statesmanship and honour what they had signed," the Kenyan presidency statement reported.