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East Africa's leaders are to meet in Kenya to discuss growing violence in South Sudan, where more than 1,000 people are believed to have died, the BBC reported.

The talks come a day after South Sudan's President Salva Kiir met the prime ministers of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, the UN said the first peacekeeping reinforcements were expected to arrive in 48 hours.

Violence erupted 12 days ago between forces loyal to Mr Kiir and those backing his ex-deputy Riek Machar.

More than 50,000 civilians have sought refuge at UN compounds in South Sudan.

East African regional leaders from the eight-member bloc, known as Igad, will meet in Kenya's capital Nairobi to follow up on issues raised during Thursday's talks with President Kiir in South Sudan's capital Juba.

The talks were described by Ethiopia as "very constructive and very candid."

However, South Sudan Information Minister Makuei Lueth told the Associated Press news agency that no contact with Mr Machar had yet been established.

The head of the UN mission in South Sudan, Hilde Johnson, earlier urgently called on the country's political leaders "to give peace a chance."

"The nation that [was] painstakingly built over decades of conflict and strife is at stake," she said, speaking via a video link from Juba.

Ms Johnson said "well over 1,000" people had been killed since the start of the violence on 15 December and the casualty figures were likely to rise.

She said she expected some UN military reinforcements and critically needed equipment within 48 hours.

This came after the UN Security Council voted to almost double the number of peacekeepers to 12,500 in the world's newest state.