Telecommunications and internet access have been suspended across parts of Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region amid renewed hostilities between regional forces and the federal army.
The state-owned Ethio Telecom has reportedly shut down its services completely, while private operator Safaricom continues to provide connectivity.
Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks confirmed signs of a localised network outage in northern Tigray through data shared on X.
Duke Burbridge, an American humanitarian worker based in the regional capital, Mekelle, told the BBC’s Newsday programme that telecommunications stopped working on Thursday night.
Reuters, citing sources, reported that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the region, instructed the shutdown.
One source suggested the measure was intended to interfere with government drone operations.
The disruption has compounded difficulties in obtaining reliable information about the conflict, with much of the footage circulating online originating from outside Tigray.
Burbridge warned that the loss of connectivity could have serious consequences for residents, particularly because many depend on mobile banking and digital money transfers.
He said the region had experienced severe cash shortages for approximately eight months, leaving residents struggling to withdraw money from ATMs.
Another Mekelle resident, identified by the BBC as Fitsum, said the city was facing an acute shortage of physical currency.
“There is almost no cash,” he told the broadcaster on Thursday.
He added that residents were restricting their movements amid the violence, describing the streets as unusually quiet and saying it felt as though a curfew had been imposed.
The latest confrontation between Tigrayan fighters, their allies and Ethiopia’s federal troops began on Wednesday, raising concerns that the country could slide back into a wider civil war.
A humanitarian source in neighbouring Afar told AFP that intense overnight battles, including drone attacks, had taken place near Abala, a town situated in the mountainous area between Afar and Tigray.
The source said federal troops had driven rebel forces away from the settlement.
The development follows years of instability in the region.
On Sunday, the TPLF announced a coalition with six other armed organisations aimed at removing the Ethiopian government.
Its fighters subsequently took control of three airports from federal police on Wednesday, according to reports.
Ethiopian Airlines has since suspended flights to Tigray.
The region was previously isolated from the outside world during the two-year war that ended in 2022.
Restricted access to food, medical supplies and money contributed to famine-like conditions, while estimates suggest the conflict claimed about 600,000 lives.
There are also unverified claims that TPLF fighters have carried out attacks in the neighbouring Amhara and Afar regions.
The renewed violence, alongside the telecommunications blackout, has heightened fears of another humanitarian crisis in Tigray.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong