The African Union has been mediating an end to the two-year conflict. The deal came hours after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed his forces were close to "winning".

Senegalese President Macky Sall, who is the current chair of the African Union, granted an interview to FRANCE 24 and RFI in Paris. He discussed his meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin last week in Sochi, which focused on the issue of grain supplies stuck in Ukrainian ports. Sall said he stressed to Putin that Africa is suffering from the war in Ukraine, as it already faces a shortage of grain and fertiliser. He warned of a possible "famine" on the continent if African farmers have insufficient fertiliser for their crops.

Macky Sall has told the Russian leader the ban on grain and fertilizer is causing a food crisis on the African continent. Russia says the blame lies elsewhere.

In a interview with FRANCE 24 at the EU-African Union summit in Brussels, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said the French-led troop withdrawal from Mali required "new arrangements" in the regional fight against terrorism. Akufo-Addo, who is also the current chairman of West African bloc ECOWAS, demanded the departure of "foreign mercenaries" from the region and explained that negotiations are underway with the Malian junta on an election timetable. He called the junta's proposal of a four-year transition "clearly unacceptable" and said a 12-month transition period would be "an acceptable framework", while stressing that this was not official ECOWAS position.

European foreign ministers discuss the security situation in Mali ahead of this week's AU-EU summit. Also, one month after the re-opening of schools in Uganda, our correspondent takes a look at how children are faring after the world's longest Covid-related class closure. Students' access to education had been crippled for almost two years. Finally, we take a look at how climate change is devastating the land and livestock of Kenyan herders.

Give vaccines to Africa and ditch unproven third shot, AU says

The Commissioner for Trade and Industry at the African Union, Albert Muchanga, says the union is ready for the commencement of trade under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement on the first of July this year. While speaking to CNBC Africa’s Godfrey Mutizwa, Muchanga added that the union is almost done with its work on the rules of origin. They discussed this and more on the sidelines of the 33rd African Union Summit.

9th Senate writes AU, ECOWAS, others at first plenary.