Internet and mobile‑phone services in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region have been abruptly cut after fresh clashes erupted between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and federal forces. The disruption, reported by the monitoring group NetBlocks, appears to be a deliberate communications blackout ordered by the TPLF, according to Reuters‑cited sources.
What happened
On Wednesday fighting broke out in Tigray, prompting a rapid escalation of hostilities that quickly spilled over into neighbouring Afar and Amhara provinces. In the wake of the clashes, state‑owned Ethio Telecom services were completely shut down, while the smaller private operator Safaricom continued to function. NetBlocks posted on X that network data showed a sub‑national internet shutdown in northern Tigray.
"Last night telecommunications got knocked out," said Duke Burbridge, an American humanitarian worker in Mekelle, the regional capital, during a BBC Newsday interview. A humanitarian source in Afar described "heavy fighting overnight" and drone strikes around the town of Abala, as federal forces pushed back rebel fighters.
Why the blackout matters
For residents of Tigray, the loss of Ethio Telecom’s network is more than a technical inconvenience. The region’s population relies heavily on mobile‑money applications and online banking to access cash, purchase food, and coordinate humanitarian aid. As Burbridge noted, a scarcity of cash has persisted for eight months, and the internet shutdown threatens to deepen that crisis.
- Economic impact: Without Ethio Telecom, most people cannot use banking or mobile‑money services, limiting their ability to buy essentials.
- Humanitarian access: Aid agencies depend on communications to track needs and deliver supplies; a blackout hampers coordination.
- Information flow: During the two‑year civil war that ended in 2022, Tigray was completely cut off from the outside world. The current partial shutdown revives concerns about the region’s isolation.
International travel advisories have already been issued, with the United States warning against travel to Tigray, Afar and Amhara. Ethiopian Airlines has cancelled all flights to the region following the seizure of airports.
Broader implications
The renewed fighting raises the spectre of a return to full‑scale civil war. On Sunday, the TPLF announced an alliance with six other armed groups, signalling a coordinated effort to challenge the federal government. If the conflict expands, the humanitarian fallout could mirror the previous war, which saw estimates of up to 600,000 deaths and famine‑like conditions for hundreds of thousands of people.
While Safaricom’s network remains operational, the effectiveness of a partial internet service is limited when the dominant carrier is offline. The blackout also illustrates how control of communications can be weaponised in modern conflicts, potentially to impede drone surveillance or to limit the spread of information about battlefield developments.
Uncertainty and next steps
Details about the precise scope and duration of the shutdown remain unclear. NetBlocks’ data confirms a sub‑national shutdown, but it does not specify whether any mobile‑data services remain functional beyond Safaricom’s limited coverage. Additionally, the motives behind the TPLF’s alleged order to cut communications are reported as a possible attempt to disrupt government drones, yet this has not been independently verified.
Observers will be watching for further statements from the Ethiopian government, the TPLF, and telecom operators to gauge whether the internet blackout will expand or be lifted. Humanitarian agencies are also likely to seek alternative channels—such as satellite phones—to maintain contact with affected communities.
In a region already strained by years of conflict and scarcity, the sudden loss of internet connectivity underscores how quickly basic services can become weapons of war, amplifying the human cost of renewed fighting.