South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir did not sign a peace deal with his country’s rebel factions in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, requesting a further 15 days before signing it in full, reported BBC News.

The summit was part of a peace-building initiative includes the US, UK, EU, Norway, China, the African Union and the UN. Also in attendance were the leaders of Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.

One of the focal points of the conflict is the oil-rich Unity State where, according to a UN report, government troops allegedly gang-raped and burned alive women and girls during an anti-rebel offensive.

The New York Times adds that China has deployed an infantry battalion to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the first time it has sent a full battalion to any UN operation.

China is a major importer of oil from South Sudan and China’s state-owned oil company is a major investor in that country.