On February 4, 2024, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) executed a raid on the main switches of Sudan’s three primary communications companies, Zain, MTN Sudan, and Sudatel, in Khartoum. At gunpoint, RSF soldiers directed the engineers to cut off all communications and Internet services across Sudan. The RSF claimed these actions were in response to previous instructions from the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to disconnect Darfur, which was publicly denied by telecommunications sector sources and Zain Company.
Since February 4, 2024, telecommunications and Internet services have been completely severed throughout Sudan. This shutdown, coupled with the ban on satellite Internet services enforced by the Sudanese Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority, poses severe risks amidst the ongoing war and threatens the safety of over 40 million Sudanese, with a quarter forcibly displaced and lacking access to crucial information about their conditions and safety.
The blackout also hampers humanitarian aid coordination, vital for over 25 million Sudanese according to United Nations statistics. Electronic banking services, pivotal for economic transactions following the disruption of traditional banking services since the outbreak of war, stand as the sole lifeline for Sudanese civilians and humanitarian response efforts.
Amidst this dire situation, global and regional actors’ silence is deeply concerning. Urgent appeals are directed towards the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, United Nations agencies, and governments of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Kuwait, and South Africa, along with the African Union and IGAD, to use their influence and demand the warring parties cease using the telecom sector as a tool of warfare. Furthermore, calls are made for the announcement of willingness to impose sanctions on those responsible for disrupting Sudanese communications.
The gravity of the situation in Sudan necessitates immediate and decisive international action to sustain the lives of the Sudanese amidst the perils of war, famine, displacement, and ongoing violations against them.
