The United States says all members of the U.N. Security Council support a proposal to send 5,500 peacekeepers to South Sudan in order to protect civilians from worsening violence.
The Security Council is due to vote Tuesday afternoon on a resolution to transfer troops from other U.N. missions in Africa, following the proposal from U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power said late Monday that South Sudan is "in jeopardy" and that its leaders can either choose to engage in dialogue or tear the nation apart.
South Sudan President Salva Kiir said Monday in a meeting with U.S. special envoy for South Sudan Donald Booth that he is willing to hold talks with his former vice president Riek Machar without preconditions.
The country's Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin told VOA that Mr. Kiir stressed in remarks to parliament that he will never again take South Sudan to war and that talks are the way to end the violence.