Sudan: Internet blackout fosters violations of human rights

The Sudanese telecoms regulator asked MTN Sudan to temporarily shut down the internet on 18 April, when the crisis started. Days after the truce broke down, fighting between the military and emergency relief forces caused almost total internet blackout nationwide.

‘Shutting down the internet during states of conflict is worrisome, as blackouts are meant to conceal evidence of human rights violations. Internet shutdowns mean that whoever blocks the service does not want certain information to spread. In most cases, these actors have malicious or even criminal motives, making the situation even bleaker in Sudan’, said Mohamad Najem, Executive Director at SMEX.

As a result of the nation’s unreliable internet, fighting factions on the ground are waging war online, with each party competing to spread its propaganda and promote its dose of fake news, as many sources in Sudan told SMEX. According to a Sudanese source who spoke to SMEX, the Sudatel network was down, the Canar mobile network experienced issues, and the MTN mobile network was barely operational.