Ethiopia: Internet access, SMS service remain disrupted as of June 17 /update 2

Event

Social media, internet access, and SMS service remain disrupted across Ethiopia as of Monday, June 17. The Ethiopian government and telecommunications providers have not publicly commented on the disruptions; however, unconfirmed reports claim the measure was implemented to counter cheating or leaks during national exams. The planned length of the telecommunications disruptions and the timeline for their restoration were not immediately reported, although reports indicate it may end on Tuesday, June 18, as national secondary school final examinations finish.

Context

Monitoring groups observed several prolonged outages beginning on Tuesday, June 11. Ethiopia similarly blocked social media and internet services during national exams in 2017.

Advice

Individuals in Ethiopia are advised to monitor developments to the situation and anticipate prolonged telecommunications disruptions.