The organisers of the farm invasions in Zimbabwe yesterday promised to end rural violence in return for a share of the land they have occupied since February.
Farmers have apparently welcomed the deal, but it was denounced as giving in to "banditry" by the country's main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The peace-for-land deal was struck between the Commercial Farmers' Union and the leader of the Zimbabwean war veterans, Mr Chenjerai Hunzvi, who has spearheaded the invasion of more than 1,000 white-owned farms.
It followed talks in London which failed to make progress on land reforms.
"We have gone a long way today in resolving our problems as far as the land issue is concerned," said Mr Nick Swanepoel, the Commercial Farmers' Union vice-president.
He said the CFU and the veterans' leader had agreed on three principles:
"That the war veterans will stay on the farms, but it will be peaceful."
"The criminal element will be dealt with severely."
"Farmers must get on with the business of farming."
Mr Hunzvi was adamant. "Violence should stop forthwith," he said. Illegal squatters have murdered two white farmers and several black farm workers in the past two months.
At least 12 people have been killed in political violence, which opponents say has been orchestrated by President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party ahead of elections due to have been held next month.
Mr Mugabe, who has endorsed the farm invasions, has delayed naming a polling day.
The MDC leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, deplored the latest peace deal, accusing the farmers of selling out to Mr Hunzvi.
"Going to Hunzvi is submission to outlaws and banditry . . . Each farmer is having to buy his own safety on an individual basis," he said.
Mr Hunzvi and CFU leaders embarked on what the war veteran said would be a national tour to tell all squatters to renounce violence.
Mr Hunzvi dismissed conditions set by the British government for funding land reforms.
"London is not going to dictate terms to us. We are an independent state to take our own decisions," he said.
Mr Mugabe is demanding that Britain pay £36 million to finance land redistribution from white farmers to the hundreds of thousands of blacks who have no land.
Britain insists the money will not come until the farm occupations stop and free elections are held.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, has warned regional leaders the crisis could damage the entire region by warding off international investors and blighting national economies.
Nonetheless, President Fredrick Chiluba, of Zambia, was reported in his national press as supporting the land seizures that have twice been deemed illegal by Zimbabwe's High Court.
The South African author and Nobel Prize winner, Nadine Gordimer, yesterday accused the Zimbabwean government of using "terror tactics" in the arrest of a South African photographer.
Obed Zilwa of the Associated Press has been detained since his arrest in Harare on Wednesday in connection with the weekend bombing of the offices of the Daily News newspaper. Mr Zilwa's arrest has been met with outrage by media groups in South Africa. About 100 journalists protested outside the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town yesterday to demand his release.