Combatants in Ethiopia's Tigray war agree to stop fighting

The Ethiopian government and regional forces from Tigray agreed on Wednesday to cease hostilities, a dramatic diplomatic breakthrough two years into a war that has killed thousands, displaced millions and left hundreds of thousands facing famine, Qazet.az reports.

Just over a week after formal peace talks mediated by the African Union (AU) beganin the South African capital Pretoria, delegates from both sides signed an agreement on a "permanent cessation of hostilities".

"The two parties in the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed to the cessation of hostilities as well as to systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament," said Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the AU mediation team, at a ceremony.

Obasanjo, a former Nigerian president, said the agreement also included "restoration of law and order, restoration of services, unhindered access to humanitarian supplies, protection of civilians".