In a bid to end the conflict which erupted almost two years ago in the oil-producing nation of South Sudan, East African leaders have decided to gather in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, on Wednesday to discuss President Salva Kiir’s position on a proposed peace deal.

Salva Kiir on Aug. 17 declined signing an accord with rebel leader Riek Machar in order to end the fight. The U.S. however, has proposed imposing an arms embargo against the country and targeted sanctions against some of its leaders to press the warring factions to end violence that has killed tens of thousands of people.

According to spokesman Mawien Makol Arik, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Sudanese leader Umar al-Bashir and Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn will attend the meeting. The heads of state will “‘consult on the peace process and the position of the government,’’ he said.

The government has cited differences in opinion over the organization of the army, demilitarization and governance in the crude-rich Upper Nile state as reasons for its disapproval of the deal. It was gathered that Kiir plans to sign the agreement on Wednesday.

‘‘The position of the government is clear, that the president did not sign the peace process in Addis Ababa and if there are any changes, then we will see as we go along,’’ Arik said.