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Ethiopia Conflict Intensifies With Internet Blackout in Tigray
Confirmed
In Short: Online monitor Netblocks reported an 'internet disruption in northern Ethiopia corresponding to reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray.
Ethiopian forces battled overnight to repel an assault by Tigray rebels in the Afar region, a humanitarian source said Friday, with reports of an internet blackout in the north of the country.
A humanitarian source in Afar said there was 'heavy fighting overnight' around the town of Abala, which sits in the mountains on the border with Tigray.
The conflict could draw in neighboring Eritrea, which fears Ethiopia may invade to gain Red Sea access.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which ruled Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018, is now pushing south through Amhara towards Addis Ababa, while the offensive in Afar is likely aimed at cutting off supplies from Djibouti.
AFP was unable to contact sources in the region by phone on Friday.
Internet connectivity in Tigray has been disrupted after repeated attempts to contact a reporter in Mekelle were unsuccessful.
Residents in Mekelle and Adigrat were already stocking up on food, cash, and basic necessities amid fears that renewed fighting could leave Tigray isolated.
The TPLF said Thursday that a 'full-blown war' was underway with Ethiopia’s federal government, while both sides continue to accuse each other of initiating the latest escalation.
The Ethiopian National Defense Force reported that 272 TPLF fighters were killed during fighting in North Wollo.
Young men are leaving Tigray for Addis Ababa amid fears of forced recruitment as renewed fighting spreads across northern Ethiopia.
The latest accounts add to growing concerns about how the renewed conflict is affecting civilians.
The monitoring organization linked the timing of the disruption to the escalating conflict but could not establish who caused the outage.
What's confirmed
- Ethiopian forces battled overnight to repel an assault by Tigray rebels in the Afar region, a humanitarian source said Friday, with reports of an internet blackout in the north of the country.
- Online monitor Netblocks said there was an "internet disruption in northern Ethiopia corresponding to reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray".
- A humanitarian source in Afar said there was "heavy fighting overnight" around the town of Abala that sits in the mountains on the border with Tigray.
- The conflict could also draw in neighbouring Eritrea, which fears landlocked Ethiopia is planning to invade it to gain access to the Red Sea.
- The TPLF ruled the whole of Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018 before being sidelined with Abiy's rise, eventually triggering a civil war marked by widespread war crimes and sexual violence.
- Heavy clashes occurred in North Wollo Zone of Amhara on Thursday, including around the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Lalibela, home to Ethiopia's famed rock churches.
- Analysts say the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) appears to be repeating its strategy from the last war -- pushing south through Amhara towards the capital, Addis Ababa, while the offensive in Afar is likely aimed at cutting off supplies from Djibouti, which provides almost all of Ethiopia's international trade cargo, including fuel.
What's still developing
- However, Kulu Media has not independently established who caused or ordered the disruption.
- The accounts, published by Al Jazeera on September 25, come as fighting involving Tigrayan forces and Ethiopia’s federal military has escalated across several fronts and raised fresh concerns about the impact of the conflict on civilians.
- The disruption comes at a particularly sensitive moment for civilians.
- The agreement comes as leaders gather in New Delhi for the 2026 BRICS summit, with the grouping attempting to present a common position on major global conflicts despite significant differences among its members.
- The expanded grouping brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others.
- The ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel has particularly complicated efforts to arrive at a consensus.
- The bloc, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, is holding its annual summit in New Delhi this weekend.
- Representatives of the member nations have been engaged on bridging the divide between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, who are on opposite sides of the Gulf conflict, to produce a consensus declaration.