Kerry, African ministers to meet on South Sudan violence, Somalia

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Linda Thomas-Greenfield attend bilateral talks with Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta at the State House in Kenya's capital Nairobi, August 22, 2016. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

NAIROBI (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from six African nations met in Nairobi on Monday to discuss ways to prevent South Sudan from sliding back into civil war.

World powers and regional states have struggled to find leverage over the country's warring factions despite U.S. and European sanctions on some military leaders and African threats of punitive actions.