Ethiopia shuts down internet as ENDF moves on to Tigray

ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian government closed down internet services amid crisis in the Tigray region, service provider Access Now said, with Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed now facing criticism from the international community over his recent actions that undermine democracy in the country.

Only the Tigray region which was affected by the rest of the country said to be okay. The region through governing Tigray People's Liberation Front [TPLF] has been at loggerheads with the government of Abiy, who won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Those who entirely depend on internet services remained in darkness for the better part of Wednesday and Thursday morning, officials said. The government did not issue a rejoinder with regard to the impasse which could paralyze thousands of online businesses and the flow of information.

“The government of Ethiopia has again shut down the internet,” Access Now said.

“Mobile network, fixed-line internet and landline telephony have been cut in Tigray, as PM (Abiy Ahmed) declares a state of emergency and orders military intervention against Tigray People’s Liberation Front.”

The government deployed the Ethiopian National Defense Forces to the troubled region despite resistance from members of the international community. Abiy believes that TPLF ambushed a military base in the region due to an internal disagreement.

The Front is said to have ambushed a military camp commanded by the Ethiopian National Defence Forces in Tigray and “attempted to rob” weapons from the camp, according to a statement issued by Abiy’s office on Wednesday.

By Thursday morning, calls to sources in Tigray were not going through while they remained offline on their internet platforms. Addis Ababa did not clarify the cut-off claims.

Ja kenn Publishing PLC, the Ethiopian group that owns the Addis Standard issued an editorial demanding open channels to access the region and report on the incident.

“Reporting on conflicts is never an easy task, but it is important that journalists are able to reach sources on the ground to update the world on the condition and safety of civilian citizens who are possibly caught in the crossfire of such conflicts,” the news organization indicated.

“As an independent media based in Ethiopia and concerned about the safety of civilian citizens, with a responsibility to provide the local and international community with factual updates, and in this age when we struggle with the proliferation of fake news, we kindly ask the government to let the truth be upheld and allow the restoration of all means of communication in Tigray regional state.”

As a show of dissatisfaction, the United States in the midst of its election drama issued a statement urging "an immediate de-escalation." The United Nations expressed "alarm" and made a similar plea.

"We have to guard against 'just another tribal African war,' " former U.S. diplomat Payton Knopf told The Associated Press. "This is much more akin to what an interstate war would look like," with large and highly trained ground forces, mechanized units, and heavy artillery.

The prime minister announced "several martyrs" in the overnight attack in Mekele, the northern Tigray region's capital, and Dansha town. The region is Ethiopia's most sensitive, neighboring Eritrea, which fought a long border war before the two countries made peace in 2018.

Abiy, in a national address late Wednesday, said the attack was aimed at making Ethiopia vulnerable to outside enemies, without naming names. The army late Wednesday said it had launched a counterattack and asserted "massive" damage, and Abiy said the military would conduct further operations in the coming days.

Tigray region went on a conducted regional elections in August despite reservations by the National Elections Board of Ethiopia, which called off the polls due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders from the region have been showing defiance after Abiy Ahmed folded the former governing coalition for Prosperity Party.

GAROWE ONLINE