ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia has begun restoring internet access 10 days after it was cut following the assassinations of six top government officials.

The internet shutdown affected the entire country but in recent days a few locations were able to function.

No official explanation has been given for the internet cut but many Ethiopians suspect it was aimed at preventing government critics from communicating to wide audiences and to protect the country from fake news and disinformation.

Ethio Telecom, the country's state-owned monopoly of telecommunications services, also cut internet access two weeks ago during the national school exams.

NetBlocks, an internet monitoring group, estimated Ethiopia was losing a minimum of $4.5 million a day during the internet cut.