In the past two days, shortages of gas and diesel in Addis Ababa has forced several service stations to shut down. Truck drivers are now waiting several hours in line to fill up diesel in those few stations that are still open.
The shortage occurred due to the disturbance at the Ethiopian border with Sudan last week. The local population and rebel forces, in coordination with some army units, have started to block roads and attack Sudanese army that is occupying lands that was given to Sudan by the Meles regime.
Rebel forces in the boarder area also cut fiber optics lines that come through Sudan. This has caused interruption of Internet connections to many government offices, embassies, NGOs and the prime minister’s offices.
The fiber optics lines are used for broadband (high speed) Internet service that the state-owned Ethiopian Telecommunication Corporation (ETC) provides for 3,000 birr per month.
Woyanne Transportation and Telecommunications minister Junedin Sado sent technicians to the boarder area by military planes to fix the fiber optics lines.
Only embassies, government departments, some international NGOs and few very rich people are currently using the 3,000-birr-per-month broadband service. Internet service through telephone dial-up has not been affected.