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World

Internet cut off in war-torn northern Ethiopia as panic-buying empties Tigray shelves

Web monitor NetBlocks says network data shows a subnational internet disruption in northern Ethiopia, matching reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray as war rages.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 2 min read

The internet has been cut off across much of war-torn northern Ethiopia, online monitor NetBlocks said on Friday, as fears grow that Tigray faces a repeat of the communications blackout imposed during the 2020–2022 civil war.

“Network data indicate a subnational internet disruption in northern Ethiopia corresponding to reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray,” NetBlocks said on its official social media account. The cause of the disruption was not immediately clear, and spokespeople for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office and for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

AFP confirmed connection difficulties on Friday and said it was unable to contact sources by phone in Tigray.

The blackout comes as the most serious escalation of fighting since the last war rages across the north. Tigrayan forces seized three local airports this week and launched offensives into the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions on Wednesday, saying they were responding to federal attacks. There was heavy fighting on Thursday in North Wollo Zone in Amhara, including around the UNESCO World Heritage rock churches of Lalibela. Last weekend the TPLF forged an anti-government alliance with the Fano militia in Amhara and five other armed groups.

In Tigray, residents rushed to shops on Wednesday and Thursday to stock up on basic supplies and withdraw cash, emptying shelves. Prices for basic goods have spiked. “There is panic in the community,” Samuel Gebreslassie, 37, who works in a spice shop in the Tigray capital Mekelle, told AFP. “There is deep fear that banks, telecom networks, electricity and basic goods could be cut off again.”

Analysts say the Tigrayans appear to be repeating their strategy from the last war — pushing south through Amhara towards the capital Addis Ababa — while the Afar offensive is likely aimed at cutting supplies from Djibouti, which handles almost all of Ethiopia’s international trade cargo, including fuel.

Sources

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