Telecommunications and internet services in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have been severely disrupted following the outbreak of armed conflict this week between regional forces and the national army. State-owned Ethio Telecom reported a complete cessation of services in the area, while operations from the private provider Safaricom continue to function. Earlier reports from NetBlocks, an internet monitoring organization, confirmed via network data that a sub-national internet shutdown was in effect across northern Tigray.
Duke Burbridge, an American humanitarian worker based in the regional capital of Mekelle, told the BBC that telecommunications were knocked out the previous night. He emphasized the severity of the situation, noting that cash has been scarce in the region for eight months due to inaccessible ATMs. According to Burbridge, the loss of internet connectivity would be “devastating for everybody,” as residents heavily rely on mobile money applications and banking services over both Ethio Telecom and Safaricom networks.
The violence began on Wednesday when clashes broke out between Tigrayan forces and their allies against Ethiopia’s federal troops, sparking fears of a return to full-scale civil war and triggering reports of panic buying. This escalation follows an announcement on Sunday by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the party currently governing Tigray, that it had formed an alliance with six other armed groups aimed at ousting the central government. Subsequently, TPLF forces seized control of three airports from federal police.
There are unconfirmed reports indicating that TPLF forces have also launched attacks in the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara. In response to the seizure of the airports, Ethiopian Airlines has canceled all flights to Tigray. The current unrest recalls the devastating two-year civil war that ended in 2022, during which Tigray was entirely cut off from the outside world. That conflict resulted in an estimated 600,000 deaths and pushed hundreds of thousands toward famine-like conditions due to shortages of cash, food, and medicine.
The BBC has contacted Ethiopian authorities for comment but is currently unable to report directly from Tigray and its surrounding areas.
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