Internet and telephone services have been disrupted across parts of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, as renewed fighting between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopia’s federal government intensifies. Internet-monitoring group NetBlocks confirmed a significant disruption in northern Ethiopia, while Reuters reported that calls and messages were failing on major networks.
The communications disruption comes after several days of fighting, with Tigrayan forces reportedly seizing local airports and launching attacks in neighboring Afar and Amhara regions. The escalation is being described as the most serious violence since the 2020–2022 Tigray war.
The cause of the current telecommunications shutdown has not been independently established. Reuters reported that sources familiar with the situation attributed the shutdown to restrictions by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), while a source close to the group denied responsibility and blamed the federal government.
The blackout has raised fears of a repeat of conditions during the previous war, when Tigray was largely cut off from the outside world and access to food, medicine and cash was severely restricted. Residents are reportedly stocking up on basic supplies and withdrawing cash amid concerns that the renewed fighting could worsen.
The United Nations and European Union have called for restraint and a return to the African Union-backed peace process, as concerns grow about the potential humanitarian and regional consequences of the renewed conflict.
News as Reported.
