Nairobi, Nov. 3 -- The Ethiopian government and rival Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, who control the northern Tigray region, on Wednesday signed a "permanent cessation of hostilities" deal in a bid to end one of Africa's recent bloodiest civil war.

According to the signed agreement, the warring parties will cease hostilities and "silence guns in principle" in the war-torn Tigray region, and work on ending the two-year old war "without delay."

The signing of the agreements, which came after ten days of intense negotiations, marks an important milestone in the African Union-led mediation process that began on Tuesday, October 25, in South Africa, in pursuit of a peaceful solution to the conflict that has gripped the Horn ...