Europe sends envoy to seek peace in South Sudan

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is sending an envoy to help seek a political solution to ethnic bloodletting in South Sudan and to liaise with neighboring countries, the European Commission said on Wednesday. "It is essential that all political leaders commit immediately to a political dialogue to resolve their differences," Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for Ashton, said. In an emailed statement, she said Ashton had asked EU special representative Alex Rondos to travel to the region immediately and to liaise directly with concerned countries and organizations on the ground. The U.N. Security Council on Tuesday approved plans to almost double the number of peacekeepers in South Sudan in response to fears of a worsening conflict there. (Reporting by Barbara Lewis; Editing by Hugh Lawson)