Fighting in Northern Ethiopia Raises Fears of Telecom Blackout and Blockade

Fighting has intensified in northern Ethiopia as federal forces confront forces from Tigray and allied armed groups, while telephone and internet services in Tigray have reportedly stopped working.

The escalation has spread across Tigray and into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions, raising concerns that the conflict could bring back the communications restrictions and supply blockades experienced during Ethiopia’s 2020-2022 civil war.

Internet disruption reported

Internet monitor NetBlocks said it detected a disruption in northern Ethiopia that corresponded with reports of a telecommunications blackout in Tigray. The reported outage occurred on Friday as the conflict threatened to develop into a broader war.

Reuters reported that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front had ordered Safaricom and Ethio telecom to cut telephone and internet access in the region. The cause of the interruption has not been independently established.

An unnamed source said the restrictions may have been intended to reduce the advantage of government forces using battlefield drones.

Tigray was largely cut off from the outside world during the previous war. That conflict also involved a communications blackout and a blockade of supplies, contributing to famine-like conditions for hundreds of thousands of people. An estimated 600,000 people were killed during the 2020-2022 conflict, according to the source material.

Armed alliance reports attacks

Seven armed groups have announced the formation of an alliance. The Ethiopian Peoples’ Forces Alliance for Survival said it was committed to removing the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Alliance forces were reported to have seized three airports and launched attacks against federal troops in Afar and Amhara. Those battlefield reports have not been independently verified.

The Tigray Army has accused the federal government of launching a “full-scale offensive” involving infantry, mechanised units and drones. It said its forces had begun what it called a defensive war against aggression by Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Abdisalam Balema, a member of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front central committee, told Al Jazeera that the situation had become a “full war”.

Regional tensions

The conflict could also draw in Eritrea. The Ethiopian federal government has accused Eritrea of financially backing the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and its allies, an allegation denied by leaders in Asmara.

The report also said Eritrea fears that landlocked Ethiopia may be planning an invasion to gain access to the Red Sea.

In Tigray, residents were reported to have bought basic supplies and withdrawn cash amid fears that the fighting and communications disruption could worsen. The source does not establish whether the escalation will develop into a full-scale national war.