Fighting in northern Ethiopia spurs fears of blackout and blockade

Reports of telecom and internet outages have increased fears of a communications blackout in northern Ethiopia as clashes escalate between federal forces and fighters from the Tigray region and allied groups. Web monitor NetBlocks said it detected an internet disruption in the north that corresponded with on-the-ground reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray, and news agency Reuters reported that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had ordered private operator Safaricom and state-owned Ethio Telecom to cut access to phone and internet networks.

Lower-level clashes between federal and Tigrayan forces had been ongoing, but violence surged this week and spread beyond Tigray into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions after seven armed groups announced they had formed an alliance, calling themselves the Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival. The alliance has committed to removing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government; its forces have reportedly seized three airports and launched attacks against federal troops in Afar and Amhara.

The Tigray Army said the federal government launched a "full-scale offensive" involving infantry, mechanised units and drones, and described its own actions as a defensive war to counter federal aggression. Observers noted the communications restrictions may be aimed at limiting government forces’ advantage from battlefield drones. The federal government has accused Eritrea of financially backing the TPLF and its allies, an allegation denied by leaders in Asmara.

The outbreak is the most serious escalation since the 2020-2022 civil war, during which Tigray was largely cut off from the outside world and an estimated 600,000 people died. The earlier conflict included a telecoms blackout and a blockade of supplies that created famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands. In response to the renewed fighting, people in Tigray have been reported to rush to buy basic supplies and withdraw cash. The escalation comes shortly after the United States lifted sanctions on Ethiopia and Eritrea this month, saying the national emergency tied to the prior conflict had expired, and it raises concerns the violence could further widen or draw in neighbouring Eritrea.