Intense combat erupted again in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region on Monday, as federal troops and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) exchanged heavy fire, while the government imposed a sweeping internet and mobile‑network shutdown across the area. The renewed hostilities mark the most serious breach of the 2022 peace agreement since the two‑year civil war that devastated Tigray between 2020 and 2022.
Escalation of the conflict
The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) announced that it had inflicted “major losses” on rebel units, claiming to have killed “hundreds of TPLF fighters” in a series of operations aimed at recapturing strategic towns.
"We have eliminated hundreds of enemy combatants and seized key positions," the military statement said, as reported by DW.The TPLF, which once ruled Ethiopia before being ousted in 2018, denied the figures and warned that the attacks could trigger a broader insurgency. According to the BBC, the fighting is the first large‑scale clash since the fragile ceasefire was brokered, and it has reignited fears of a full‑scale war.
Analysts cited by France 24 note that the renewed violence follows months of mounting political tension, including disputes over the federal government’s control of regional elections and the TPLF’s refusal to disarm. The conflict now risks drawing in neighboring forces, as the United Nations and African Union have warned that spillover could threaten the stability of bordering Eritrea and Sudan.
Telecom blackout and humanitarian impact
Simultaneous with the fighting, the government ordered a comprehensive internet restriction in Tigray, cutting off both broadband and mobile data services. Reuters and multiple regional outlets confirmed that telecom networks were disrupted, leaving residents unable to access social media, news sites, or emergency communications. The blackout mirrors the total isolation imposed during the earlier two‑year war, when the region was completely cut off from the outside world.
Humanitarian organisations have sounded the alarm that the communications shutdown will hamper aid delivery and impede the verification of civilian casualties. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that the lack of reliable information could delay life‑saving assistance, while the International Committee of the Red Cross emphasized that civilians are already facing shortages of food, medicine and clean water.
Risk of a wider regional war
Officials in Addis Ababa claim the offensive is limited to “restoring order” in Tigray, but opposition parties and international observers argue that the scale of the operation suggests a broader strategy to re‑assert federal authority. The ruling Prosperity Party has been accused by the opposition of using the conflict to consolidate power, a charge the government rejects.
Security experts quoted by Al Jazeera and the Daily Sabah warn that the renewed hostilities could trigger a domino effect, drawing in armed groups from neighboring Ethiopia’s Oromia and Amhara regions, as well as foreign militias operating along the Eritrean border. The United States and the European Union have called for an immediate cease‑fire and a return to negotiations, stressing that any escalation would jeopardize fragile peace across the Horn of Africa.
For now, the situation remains fluid, with both sides reporting casualties and neither willing to back down. The internet shutdown continues to limit independent verification, leaving the international community largely dependent on official statements and satellite imagery to assess the unfolding crisis.
