The chairman of the African Union commission has welcomed the fact that the Ethiopian government and Tigrayan forces have entered into talks aimed at ending the war that has devastated Ethiopia's northern Tigray region.
Moussa Faki said he was "encouraged by the early demonstration of a commitment to peace" in the talks being held in South Africa.
The AU-appointed mediators are the former presidents of Nigeria and Kenya, Olusegun Obasanjo and Uhuru Kenyatta respectively, and South Africa's former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka.
The UN, US and the East African regional body, Igad, had observer status at the talks, Mr Faki added.