The Ethiopian government and rebel forces in the country’s northern Tigray region agreed on Wednesday to what they called “a permanent cessation of hostilities” in a brutal civil war that began two years ago.
The announcement by mediators came after the latest round of peace talks convened in South Africa by the African Union.
“The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities,” said Olusegun Obasanjo, the former Nigerian president, who has led the on-and-off negotiations for more than a year. “This moment is not the end of the peace process,” he added, “but the beginning of it.”
The civil war, which began in November 2020, has led to widespread destruction and atrocities, left thousands dead or injured, displaced millions and left many on the verge of famine.
