Ethiopia government, Tigray forces to meet for first peace talks since conflict began

FILE PHOTO: Residents and militias stand next to houses destroyed by an airstrike during the fight between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in Kasagita town, Afar region, Ethiopia, February 25, 2022. Picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

NAIROBI (Reuters) -An Ethiopian government delegation and rival Tigray forces were due to meet in South Africa for the first formal peace talks since war broke out two years ago.

The talks will take place as Ethiopian forces and their allies make significant battlefield gains in the northern Tigray region, where they have captured several large towns in the past week.