Tigray: Power Outage Across the Region After TPLF Armed Groups Attack Power Lines

February 19, 2021

Power transmission lines (Source : EEP)

Borkena

Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP), state owned service provider, disclosed on Wednesday this week that the Tigray region of Ethiopia is once again hit by power outage. 

EEP has established the cause of the latest outage. It said that members of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front(TPLF), presumably armed and operating in the region, attacked the power transmission line along the Almata -Mehoni -Mekelle line. 

Furthermore, it is said that work is underway to restore power in the region again. 

At this writing, all parts of the Tigray region do not have electric power. 

DW Amharic service reporter, Million Haileselassie, on Friday reported that the outage started on Tuesday this week. According to his report, there are some people who are using generators in Mekelle but most people are impacted by the outage. 

Commercial activities in Mekelle, seat of the regional government, is slowing down. 

Furthermore, the reporter said that there is shortage of water to the extent that a barrel of water is being sold for 80 Ethiopian birr (about $2 US dollars). It is indicated in the report that there has always been there before the law enforcement operation in the region.

Media outlets and activities based in the west had been blasting the Ethiopian government for power and communication blackout in the region following the law enforcement operation in the region. 

The Government declared that TPLF forces were annihilated during the three weeks of war. But the incident this week involving electric power lines in the region seems to suggest otherwise. There are still some TPLF fighters hiding out, and they are attacking infrastructures including electric power lines.