Internet disrupted in Ethiopia as conflict breaks out in Tigray region

According to a news report, network data from Netblock’s Internet Observatory has shown that the Internet in the Tigray region in Ethiopia has been cut off. The metrics, according to the report, confirm reports of widespread Internet data and mobile telephony disruptions within the region. The report further stated that the blackout of telecommunication services forms part of a series of Internet shutdowns imposed by the Ethiopian central government. However these measures, which the government explains as necessary for national security considerations, go to limit news coverage and visibility of what is actually happening on the ground in Ethiopia. Ethiopia witnessed similar network outages in the wake of protests in June 2020 when the activist-singer Hachalu Hundessa was killed.