Telecommunications Cut Off Across Tigray, Raising Concerns Over Banking, Markets and Livelihoods

September 24, 2026

Telecommunications services were cut off across Tigray at approximately 10:21 p.m. local time Thursday, according to sources who told UMD Media they had direct knowledge of the events leading to the shutdown.

According to the sources, efforts to disconnect telecommunications began as early as Tuesday, when Tigray officials instructed network technicians in Mekelle to shut down services.

The technicians reportedly told the officials that Ethio Telecom’s network could not be disconnected from Mekelle and that such an action would have to be carried out from Addis Ababa.

The officials then approached Safaricom Ethiopia, the country’s second major telecommunications provider. According to the sources, Safaricom personnel said a shutdown was technically possible but would require time to implement.

The officials subsequently returned to the Ethio Telecom branch, where personnel responsible for the network were reportedly detained on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Sources told UMD Media that at around 7:00 p.m. Thursday, detained technicians were threatened with death and taken to a technical control room. The technicians reportedly said they would need several hours to carry out the shutdown.

At approximately 10:21 p.m., the network went down, the sources said.

Following the shutdown, Ethio Telecom users were largely unable to make or receive calls or access internet-based messaging applications and social media. Sources said some Safaricom users continued to have internet access and were able to communicate through online applications.

Officials Identified by Sources

Asked who had requested or pushed for the shutdown, sources identified two Tigray officials.

The first was Gebre Gebretsadik, also known as Gebre Adet, who was publicly known as a military spokesperson during the 2020–2022 Tigray war and, according to the sources, is currently responsible for media and social media affairs.

The second was Tigray Police Deputy Commissioner Gebreselassie Belay.

Sources alleged that during the confrontation with telecommunications personnel, Gebreselassie threatened one of the detained technicians, saying, “I will throw his body at Romanat,” referring to the well-known Romanat public square in Mekelle.

UMD Media has not independently verified the alleged threat or obtained responses from the officials named in the account.

UMD Media is withholding the names of the detained telecommunications personnel for their safety. Their whereabouts could not be independently confirmed after communications were disconnected.

Why Shut Down Communications?

Asked why Tigray officials would seek to shut down telecommunications, a telecom source who requested anonymity offered two possible explanations.

The source said officials may be concerned that active telecommunications could make their locations or movements more traceable and potentially expose them to targeting by the federal government through drones or other attacks. The source also suggested the shutdown could be intended to restrict and control information flowing into and out of Tigray.

UMD Media has not independently established that these were the reasons for ordering the shutdown. They represent the assessment of the telecommunications source.

Banking, Markets and Livelihoods at Risk

The shutdown is particularly significant because Tigray experienced prolonged telecommunications, internet, electricity and banking disruptions during the 2020–2022 war, when the federal government imposed restrictions on those services. Those disruptions severely affected civilians’ access to money, markets, essential services and communication.

This time, however, sources say the shutdown was initiated by officials in Tigray itself.

The immediate consequences could extend well beyond telephone and internet access. Banks, ATMs, electronic transfers, mobile banking and digital payment systems depend on telecommunications connectivity, while traders rely on phones and internet services to contact suppliers, arrange transportation, confirm payments and follow market prices.

A prolonged shutdown could therefore disrupt banking, remittances, trade, food distribution, humanitarian coordination and the livelihoods of households dependent on daily commercial activity. Its overall impact will depend largely on how long the communications blackout continues.