Tigray’s leaders have withdrawn their forces from neighbouring regions and called for a cessation of hostilities followed by negotiations.

The civil war has sown devastation in much of the country’s north, killed tens of thousands, uprooted an estimated two million from their homes and left more than nine million facing acute hunger. The country’s economy is in trouble, with rising inflation meaning the war’s pain extends well outside Tigray.

Given the conflict’s political roots, actors on all sides should now take bold steps to bring the fighting to a close – even if that means upsetting some of their allies. More war will only mean continued horror, with destabilising consequences for Ethiopia and, potentially, the Horn of Africa as a whole.

The federal government should grasp this opportunity to end the fighting, while international actors should step up to provide support for talks, writes International Crisis Group.