Fighting between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigrayan forces has resumed in the north. Phone and internet services have been disrupted in Tigray, making it harder to independently track the situation.
Fresh clashes in the north
Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, is facing a renewed escalation of violence after several days of fighting between federal forces and forces linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
The clashes, which began this week, represent one of the most significant escalations since the war between the TPLF and the federal government from 2020 to 2022. Fighting has also been reported in the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions.
According to Reuters, Tigrayan forces launched attacks in several areas and took control of three local airports. The Ethiopian government said it had repelled the attacks and killed, wounded or captured more than 500 fighters. The figure could not be independently verified.
Tigrayan authorities, meanwhile, have described their operations as defensive, accusing the federal government of launching attacks against their forces. The two sides have therefore blamed each other for the latest escalation.
Communications disrupted
The situation has also been marked by a major disruption of communications in Tigray.
Internet monitoring organization NetBlocks confirmed on Friday an outage affecting internet connectivity in northern Ethiopia. Reuters journalists also reported that calls and messages to Ethio telecom numbers were not going through, while connectivity to Safaricom customers was limited.
Four people familiar with the situation, including a diplomatic source, told Reuters that the TPLF had allegedly asked Safaricom and Ethio telecom to shut down telephone and internet networks in the region. A source close to the group denied the allegation and said the government was responsible for the outage.
The telecom operators and the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had not immediately responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
The disruption is making it more difficult to independently verify information coming out of Tigray as fighting continues in several areas.
Residents prepare for another crisis
In Mekele, the capital of Tigray, residents have begun stocking up on food and withdrawing money amid fears of a return to full-scale war. Travel disruptions have also been reported in northern Ethiopia.
Flights to Lalibela, a historic town in the neighboring Amhara region, were suspended on Thursday because of fighting reported nearby.
The latest escalation has revived memories of the 2020-2022 conflict, which triggered a severe humanitarian crisis and prolonged communications blackouts in Tigray.
UN and EU call for restraint
The United Nations and the European Union have urged the parties to exercise restraint and return to the peace process backed by the African Union.
The latest violence comes as political and security tensions have also increased across Ethiopia. The TPLF is part of an alliance of seven Ethiopian armed groups announced this week seeking to challenge Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
The renewed fighting in Tigray is therefore unfolding against a broader backdrop of tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as ongoing conflicts in parts of Ethiopia.
Sources: Reuters, Associated Press and NetBlocks. Information about military operations and responsibility for the communications outages remains partly disputed and could not all be independently verified.