Fighting in northern Ethiopia spurs fears of blackout and blockade
Summary
Fighting has increased in northern Ethiopia between the federal military and forces from the Tigray region and their allies. Internet and phone services in the area have been cut off, raising fears of a repeat of a previous communications blackout and blockade that caused serious hardship during the civil war from 2020 to 2022.Key Facts
- Telecom and internet networks stopped working in northern Ethiopia amid renewed fighting.
- Fighting started between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigray forces, spreading to Afar and Amhara regions.
- Seven armed groups formed an alliance aiming to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
- The Tigray People’s Liberation Front ordered telecom companies to cut off phone and internet services.
- The blackout may be a tactic to stop government forces from using drones effectively.
- The Ethiopian government accuses Eritrea of supporting Tigray forces, which Eritrea denies.
- The previous civil war (2020-2022) caused about 600,000 deaths, severe famine, and lasted with similar communication blockades.
- The US recently lifted sanctions on Ethiopia and Eritrea after the earlier conflict but now faces a renewed crisis.
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