A cease-fire agreement between the Ethiopian government and regional Tigray forces is "a welcome first step," which hopefully can serve as solace to millions that have suffered during the two-year conflict, a United Nations spokesman said on Wednesday.

"This is very much a welcome first step, which we hope can start to bring some solace to the millions of Ethiopian civilians that have really suffered during this conflict," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told a regular press briefing.

The Ethiopian government and the country's regional forces from Tigray on Wednesday agreed to cease hostilities after days of peace talks in Pretoria, South Africa.

In a joint statement, the two sides said they have agreed to permanently silence the guns and end the two years of conflict in northern Ethiopia.

(Cover, L-R: Kenya's former President Uhuru Kenyatta, lead negotiator for Ethiopia's government, Redwan Hussein, African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo, lead Tigray negotiator Getachew Reda, and South Africa's former Vice President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka pose after the peace talks in Pretoria, South Africa, November 2, 2022. /CFP)