The warring factions in the brutal two-year conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray have agreed on a ceasefire, the African Union mediator said on Wednesday after marathon talks in South Africa.

“The two parties to the Ethiopian conflict have formally agreed on a cessation of hostilities and systematic, orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament,” said the AU’s special envoy, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The deal marked a new “dawn” for Ethiopia, he told a news conference.

The week-long talks marked the first formal dialogue to end a war that has killed hundreds of thousands and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

Tigray’s rebels welcomed the deal, saying they had made “concessions”.

“We are ready to implement and accelerate this agreement,” said the head of her delegation, Getachew Reda.

“To address the pain of our people, we have made concessions because we need to build trust.”

“Ultimately, the fact that we are at a point where we have now signed an agreement speaks volumes about the willingness on both sides to put the past behind them and embark on a new path of peace,” Reda said.

The conflict erupted on November 4, 2020, when Addis Ababa deployed troops to Tigray after accusing the TPLF, the regional ruling party, of attacking federal army camps.

The talks were supposed to run until Sunday but have been extended.