Fresh fighting flared overnight in Ethiopia’s north, where federal forces battled to stop Tigray rebels from pushing into the Afar region, according to a humanitarian source, as reports emerged of an internet blackout across parts of the country.
The escalation follows a series of moves by rebels in the northern Tigray region, who this week seized local airports and opened new fronts into the neighbouring states of Afar and Amhara. The fighters said the confrontation with Ethiopia’s federal government had returned to a “full-blown war”.
Across the area, residents are bracing for a repeat of the telecoms shutdown and supplies blockade imposed on Tigray during the 2020-2022 civil war — a conflict that killed an estimated 600,000 people.
Internet watchdog Netblocks reported an “internet disruption in northern Ethiopia corresponding to reports of a telecoms blackout in Tigray”. AFP said it was unable to reach sources inside the region by phone today.
In Afar, a humanitarian source described “heavy fighting overnight” near the mountain town of Abala, close to the Tigray border.
“The federal forces pushed the rebels from entering the town,” the source said, adding that the army deployed a drone during the engagement.
Further west, heavy clashes were reported yesterday in Amhara’s North Wollo Zone, including around Lalibela — a UNESCO World Heritage site known for Ethiopia’s famed rock-hewn churches.
Analysts say the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) appears to be returning to a familiar playbook from the last war: driving south through Amhara toward the capital, Addis Ababa. At the same time, they argue the push into Afar is likely aimed at disrupting supply lines from Djibouti, which handles almost all of Ethiopia’s international trade cargo, including fuel.
The TPLF has also formed an alliance with six other armed groups across the country, describing the effort as a bid to topple Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.
“The alliance is likely trying to seize settlements alongside key infrastructure routes to undermine federal government’s ability to supply,” said Edward Bach of consultancy firm Verisk Maplecroft.
People in Mekelle queue to purchase SIM cards after communications disruption
Even so, the government retains a substantial military edge, including a large drone arsenal, an army of roughly 500,000, and backing from external actors — notably the United Arab Emirates.
The renewed violence comes at a delicate time for the United States. Washington only this month lifted sanctions on Ethiopia and Eritrea tied to atrocities committed during the last civil war, saying the “national emergency… has expired”.
This week, the US embassy aligned itself with Ethiopia’s government, saying it was “disappointed to see the leadership of the TPLF… launch a large-scale offensive”.
Regional tensions could also widen the conflict. Neighbouring Eritrea could be pulled in, amid its fears that landlocked Ethiopia intends to invade in order to secure access to the Red Sea.
Panic buying
In Tigray itself, residents said the prospect of renewed isolation has already begun to bite, with prices of basic goods climbing as people hurried to stockpile essentials.
“There is panic in the community,” said Samuel Gebreslassie, 37, who works in a spice shop in Mekelle, the Tigray capital, speaking yesterday.
“There is deep fear that banks, telecom networks, electricity and basic goods could be cut off again.”
The TPLF dominated Ethiopian national politics from 1991 to 2018, but was sidelined after Abiy rose to power — a shift that eventually set the stage for a civil war marked by widespread war crimes and sexual violence.
The Pretoria Peace Agreement signed in 2022 brought an uneasy calm that lasted until last year, though the deal was never fully implemented and around one million people remain displaced.
Since then, sporadic fighting has returned. In recent months, federal forces have carried out multiple drone strikes in Tigray and massed troops along the border.
Rights groups have accused the TPLF of running a forced recruitment campaign this year as it prepared for renewed conflict.
