Ethiopian Amb.: Cyberattack Behind Tigray Blackout

The Ethiopian ambassador to the European Union (EU) Hirut Zemene claimed on Monday that a cyberattack was the reason behind the communication blackout in the Tigray region, according to the EU Observer website.

Fierce battles took place throughout November between local militias and Ethiopian Armed Forces, forcing tens of thousands to flee into Sudan.

The Ethiopian Ambassador denied reports that the government was behind the blackout, stressing that recent evidence suggests a cyberattack against Ethio Telecom in early November in Tigray capital, Mekelle.

"It is not simple malfunction, it is being worked out and they are saying physically nothing happened to it. Physically it is fine, it was not attacked but you know it is the software that was affected through this cyberattack," she said, noting most of the region is now back online.

These remarks come amid international media reports about civilians being subjected to a campaign of indiscriminate bombing by government federal forces and allied ethnic militias.

It is worth mentioning that, on Saturday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced that an international aid convoy arrived in the capital of Ethiopia’s war-torn Tigray for the first time since the start of a federal army military operation more than a month ago.In a statement, the ICRC said that the convoy, joined by the Ethiopian Red Cross, was organized in coordination with the Ethiopian authorities.

Seven Red Cross trucks brought medicines and medical equipment for 400 wounded as well as relief supplies.

“It is the first international aid to arrive in Mekele since fighting erupted in Tigray more than one month ago,” the Geneva-based ICRC said.

Earlier this month, the United Nations (UN) signed a deal with the Ethiopian government to allow “unimpeded” humanitarian access to Tigray, or at least to the areas under the control of the federal government.

The federal forces launched an offensive in the Northern territory to confront Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces; a matter which led to the outbreak of a humanitarian crisis and the displacement of thousands.

A few weeks ago, the UN and other parties have demanded aid access to the region, amid reports of supplies running desperately low for millions of people.

The war in Tigray has claimed hundreds and probably thousands of lives, pushed many to seek refuge in Sudan, dragged Eritrea into conflict, impeded a peacekeeping mission in Somalia, and deepened pisions among Ethiopia’s multiple ethnic groups.