https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / News / All News RSS ← Back
Power|Service
Power|Service
power|service
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Article Enquiry

Court orders restoration of Sudan internet access

Close

Embed Video

Court orders restoration of Sudan internet access

9th November 2021

By: Reuters

SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

Font size: -+

A Sudanese court ordered the country's three main telecommunications providers to restore internet access, as the country entered its sixteenth day of a blackout following a coup by military leaders on October 25.

While some Sudanese users have managed to find a connection, the blackout has made it difficult for most people to communicate, particularly with those outside the country.

Advertisement

A judge ordered Zain, MTN and local provider Sudani to restore internet service immediately, according to lawyer Abdelazim Hassan, who raised a complaint on behalf of the Sudanese Consumer Protection Society.

The blackout has meant further impunity for attacks in Darfur, said Adam Rojal, spokesperson for the Coordinating Committee for Refugees and Displaced People, which records attacks in the region.

Advertisement

At least four people have been killed in more than 10 militia attacks across the region, with more injured and sexually assaulted, he said.

"The lack of internet is allowing them to commit so many violations without accountability. We used the internet to document and report and that would make them a little bit scared," he said.

The blackout was also affecting camp residents economically by making it impossible for them to request or receive money from family abroad, Rojal said.

The coup, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, halted a power-sharing arrangement between the military and civilians. Top civilian politicians were detained and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was placed under house arrest.

Mediation efforts have stalled, and Burhan has said he is committed to appointing a technocratic cabinet until elections in July 2023.

However, more than two weeks into the military's rule, while interim appointments have been made, the country is still without a cabinet, head of state Sovereign Council, or key judicial bodies.

Local resistance committees, which have led protests since the coup, are planning another "march of millions" on Saturday under the slogan: no negotiation, no partnership, no legitimacy.

Committee members say the internet blackout has made organising difficult, even as they use graffiti, flyers, and neighbourhood marches to get the word out. These tactics had helped bring out hundreds of thousands to the last major march on October 30.

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE

To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comment Guidelines

About

Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Engineering News
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa

Read more

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options
Free daily email newsletter Register Now