Skip to main content

Network blackout cuts communications for millions in war-torn Sudan

1 min Mena Today

All three of Sudan's main internet operators were offline on Wednesday, internet observatory Netblocks said on X, cutting communications for millions of people stuck in conflict zones or fleeing for their safety.

Live network data show a new collapse of internet connectivity in Sudan © Netblocks

Live network data show a new collapse of internet connectivity in Sudan © Netblocks

All three of Sudan's main internet operators were offline on Wednesday, internet observatory Netblocks said on X, 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.

Aid agencies have warned of rising hunger in Sudan and famine-like conditions in some areas, as a result of fighting between the Sudanese army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April.

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.

An RSF source has denied responsibility and the companies have not publicly blamed anyone for the outages.

Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir

Tags

Related

Sudan

G7 targets arms flows as El-Obeid burns

G7 foreign ministers and the European Union's foreign policy chief on Wednesday urged Sudan's Rapid Support Forces and allied armed groups to stop all actions that could lead to further atrocities or endanger civilians in El-Obeid.

United Arab Emirates

US clears faster exports of AI chips and military items to UAE

The U.S. Department of Commerce loosened export controls on the United Arab Emirates on Friday, making it easier to export military items, certain commercial satellites and spacecraft, according to a U.S. government posting in the Federal Register. 

Sudan

Sudan army sets condition for US peace initiative

The Sudanese army has conditioned any broad acceptance of a U.S. proposal for ending the country's three-year-old civil war on the full withdrawal by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces from cities it has occupied, according to documents seen by Reuters.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.