Internet restricted after fighting breaks out in Ethiopia's Tigray region

Internet and telephone services have been interrupted in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region following recent clashes between regional forces and the national army. State telecom company Ethio Telecom has completely halted services in the area, while private firm Safaricom's operations remain uninterrupted. Tech monitoring group NetBlocks earlier reported on X that there was a sub-national internet shutdown in northern Tigray.

Telecommunications fell silent, according to Duke Burbridge, an American humanitarian worker based in Tigray's capital Mekelle. Burbridge relayed to BBC's Newsday program that there had been a shortage of cash in the region for the past eight months, making people unable to access ATMs. The absence of internet services would negatively impact a large population as most transactions are conducted through banking and mobile money applications. These services are mostly accessed via Ethio Telecom and Safaricom's networks.

Tensions escalated after conflicts between Tigrayan forces and their allies, along with Ethiopia's federal troops erupted on Wednesday, leading to heightened alertness and reports of panic buying. The two-year civil war that ended in 2022 saw Tigray entirely isolated from the rest of the world, leading to limited access to cash, food, and medicine which pushed hundreds of thousands into hunger-like conditions. Additional reporting by Peter Mwai, BBC Verify.