Internet Access Disrupted in Ethiopia's Tigray Region Amid Resurging Conflict

Internet and telephone services have been disrupted in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region following renewed fighting this week between regional forces and the national army. Services provided by the state-owned operator Ethio Telecom have been completely cut off, while services from the smaller private firm Safaricom remain operational.

Network data indicated a sub-national internet shutdown in northern Tigray, according to the internet monitoring group NetBlocks. Duke Burbridge, an American humanitarian worker in Mekelle, the regional capital, stated that telecommunications were knocked out overnight.

This disruption comes at a time of significant financial hardship for residents. Burbridge noted a scarcity of cash in Tigray for the past eight months, with ATMs being inaccessible. The lack of internet services is expected to be devastating, as many individuals rely on banking and mobile money applications for transactions, primarily using Ethio Telecom and Safaricom networks.

Clashes between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopian federal troops began on Wednesday, leading to increased tension and reports of panic buying. The region experienced a complete cutoff from the outside world during the two-year civil war that concluded in 2022. During that conflict, limited access to essential resources such as cash, food, and medicine pushed hundreds of thousands into famine-like conditions.