Rhino: Agencies – The authorities in South Sudan have banned the use of social media platforms for a maximum of 90 days. The Director General of the National Communications Authority, Napoleon Adok Gai, said the decision was taken after the recent violence in Sudan “which exposed South Sudanese people to unprecedented levels of vicious violence through social media posts.”
Authorities in South Sudan ordered the country’s internet service providers to block social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, for no more than 90 days. The decision followed violent protests and retaliatory attacks that led to deaths, after videos showing alleged killings of South Sudanese citizens in Sudan’s Gezira state went viral.
At least 16 Sudanese were killed last week in riots that erupted in South Sudan’s capital Juba and other parts of the country. In January, Juba witnessed protests following reports that 29 South Sudanese nationals were killed by a civilian in the neighboring Sudanese state of Gezira, where a war is ongoing. The protests turned into looting of shops owned by citizens from neighboring Sudan, and the violence spread across the country the next day.
In a letter to the country’s internet service providers, the director general of the National Telecommunications Authority (NTA), Napoleon Adok Gai, requested “blocking access to social media as of midnight on January 22” for a maximum of 90 days.
Adok Gai said the decision was taken after “the recent violence in Sudan that exposed South Sudanese to unprecedented levels of vicious violence via social media posts.”
At least three telecommunications companies in South Sudan confirmed receiving the order. Facebook was not accessible on Wednesday evening.
MTN, one of South Sudan’s largest telecommunications groups, said access to Facebook, TikTok and related messaging apps was suspended for a maximum of 90 days. It added: “As a result, MTN customers in South Sudan will not be able to access these services over its network.” Zain and Digitel made similar statements.
