The African Union's special envoy to the Horn of Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned that dialogue cannot deliver peace to Ethiopia while the war continues to intensify.

Mr Obasanjo, a former president of Nigeria, has recently returned from Ethiopia where he held talks with the federal authorities and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) who have been at war with each other for more than a year.

Mr Obasanjo said he remained hopeful about possible talks but that all sides needed to stop fighting and find some common ground.

So far, they are wide apart.

The Tigrayans say there can be no dialogue until the federal authorities allow aid into Tigray, where tens of thousands are on the brink of famine.

The government says the Tigrayans must recognise its legitimacy and withdraw from the regions of Amhara and Afar.

There's the added complication of the eight other groups who have just formed an alliance with the TPLF.

With Tigrayan fighters edging closer to the capital, it's possible they will want to push on before agreeing to a ceasefire or entering any kind of peace talks.