Network blackout cuts communications for millions in war-torn Sudan
Al Jazeera
All three of Sudan’s main internet providers are offline as the United Nations appeals for aid funds.
All three of Sudan’s main internet operators were offline on Wednesday, internet observatory NetBlocks has said, cutting communications for millions of people stuck in conflict zones or fleeing for their safety.
The network blackout could also freeze e-wallets that many people depend upon amid a widespread cash shortage.
A source from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary has denied responsibility, the Reuters news agency reported, and the companies have not publicly blamed anyone for the outages.
Two of the networks had been offline since Friday, when telecom sources and the army-aligned state news agency said the RSF had shut down the networks belonging to MTN Sudan and Sudani. Zain Sudan is now also offline, NetBlocks said.
Aid agencies have warned of rising hunger in Sudan and famine-like conditions in some areas, as a result of the nine-month war between the Sudanese army and paramilitary RSF.
