Netblocks reported an internet disruption in northern Ethiopia Friday; AFP could not reach sources by phone in Tigray. The Tigray People's Liberation Front said its Wednesday offensives into Amhara and Afar were in response to federal attacks.
This week, Tigrayan rebels seized local airports and launched attacks into neighboring states. Heavy fighting was reported Thursday in Amhara's North Wollo Zone, including around Lalibela. Analysts said the offensives appeared to repeat the TPLF's previous strategy of pushing south through Amhara toward Addis Ababa; the move into Afar was likely aimed at cutting supplies from Djibouti, which provides almost all of Ethiopia's international trade cargo, including fuel.
Residents feared a repeat of the telecoms blackout and supplies blockade imposed on Tigray by the federal government during the 2020–22 civil war, which killed an estimated 600,000 people. Prices of basic goods spiked as people stocked up; a shop worker in Mekelle said residents feared banks, telecom networks, electricity and goods could again be cut off. The TPLF formed an anti-government alliance last weekend with Fano in Amhara and five other armed groups. The conflict could also draw in Eritrea, which fears Ethiopia plans to invade it to gain Red Sea access.
