Tigray Internet Disruption Reported Amid Renewed Fighting

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported a disruption in northern Ethiopia corresponding with reports of a telecommunications blackout in Tigray; the cause and responsibility were not clear. The outage coincides with renewed fighting between Tigrayan forces and Ethiopia’s federal government, after the Tigray People’s Liberation Front declared a “full-blown war,” seized regional airports and clashed with government forces in neighboring Afar and Amhara. The TPLF has also aligned with other armed groups, while clashes have been reported on multiple fronts. Residents fear a return to the communications and supply isolation experienced during the 2020–2022 war, and the disruption has made it harder for reporters to contact sources in the region.