Telephone, internet, and banking services are down in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region following the clashes between federal troops and regional security forces.
Residents heard bursts of gunfire early on Wednesday morning on the outskirts of the regional capital, Mekelle, where the Northern Command of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) is stationed.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister and Nobel Peace laureate Abiy Ahmed said he had ordered a military offensive against regional security forces, following an alleged attack on an army base by the ruling party of the Tigray region, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
Mr Abiy’s government has now declared a six-month-long state of emergency in Tigray.
It is unclear how it will implement the state of emergency because it has no control over the region.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, the leader of the Tigray government, Debretsion Gebremichael, accused the federal government of preparing “to take forceful measures” against his region.
Tigray and other regional governments in Ethiopia have strong and well-armed special police forces and militia under their control.
