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

During the two-year civil war in Tigray, the region was totally cut off from the outside world.

Internet restricted after fighting breaks out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region
Liberal News
Publish: 25.09.2026
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Telecommunications Cut Off in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region as Fighting Intensifies

Internet and telephone services have been disrupted across Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region following renewed fighting between regional forces and the national army.

State-owned telecom operator Ethio Telecom has experienced a complete service outage in the region, while services provided by the smaller private operator Safaricom remain available.

Internet monitoring organization NetBlocks said network data showed evidence of a sub-national internet shutdown affecting northern Tigray.

“Last night telecommunications got knocked out,” Duke Burbridge, an American humanitarian worker in Tigray’s capital Mekelle, told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

The BBC said it had contacted Ethiopian authorities for comment.

Burbridge said Tigray had faced a shortage of cash for the past eight months, with residents unable to access ATMs. He warned that the loss of internet connectivity could be “devastating for everybody.”

Banking and mobile money applications are widely used for transactions in the region, with most people relying on Ethio Telecom and Safaricom networks to access those services.

Fighting broke out on Wednesday between Tigrayan forces and their allies and Ethiopia’s federal troops, raising tensions in the region and prompting reports of panic buying.

Tigray was completely cut off from the outside world during the two-year civil war that ended in 2022. Restricted access to cash, food and medicine contributed to famine-like conditions affecting hundreds of thousands of people.

Additional reporting by Peter Mwai, BBC Verify.

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