Telecoms Outage Hits Tigray as Conflict Rages

Heavy fighting took place across multiple fronts on Friday as a near-total telecoms disruption struck Tigray, raising fears of a return to a devastating regional blockade.

Amid the expanding clashes, the Ethiopian military claimed heavy rebel losses, reporting that army forces killed over 700 Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters in the Amhara region alone.

The sudden network blackout triggered widespread panic across Tigray, sending residents scrambling for alternative SIM cards and basic provisions.

Memory of the 2020–2022 civil war—during which the federal government severed electricity, banking, and communications—fuelled fears of renewed isolation as TPLF forces launched multi-pronged offensives into neighbouring Afar and Amhara.

Despite the military’s reported toll on TPLF units, rebel forces continue pushing south and east alongside allied regional groups.

The TPLF has forged a coalition with seven other armed organisations, including the Sidama Liberation Front, in an effort to march toward the capital, Addis Ababa.

Analysts warn that the rebel offensive in Afar specifically aims to sever vital trade corridors connecting landlocked Ethiopia to international shipping ports in Djibouti.

The federal government maintains a distinct military advantage through its 500,000-strong army, significant drone arsenal, and strategic backing from external allies such as the United Arab Emirates.

However, conflict monitors at ACLED caution that the involvement of diverse domestic factions and potential intervention by neighbouring Eritrea—which fears Ethiopian territorial ambitions toward the Red Sea—makes near-term de-escalation improbable.

International bodies have raised sharp concerns over the escalating violence.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the widespread use of drone strikes and the growing threat to civilian populations.

At the same time, humanitarian agencies warn that combat around border territories like Abala could displace hundreds of thousands of people.

Meanwhile, Washington expressed disappointment with the TPLF offensive shortly after lifting long-standing civil-war-related sanctions on the region.