Sudan: SIM card frenzy in Port Sudan amid blackouts. Map of Internet availability and connectivity in Sudan

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: I am contributing to this map by adding notes such as those below. I exchanged emails with Sudanese people this week  in Khartoum and South Kordofan. Both are in the yellow part of the map. The map shows internet availability and network connection in Sudan as at 20 Feb 2024. Green - Network available . Yellow - Network blackout.

Credit: map and caption Anas Yassin

Map showing Internet availability and network connection in Sudan 20/Feb/2024 . Green - Network available . Yellow - Network blackout 

#keepeyesonsudan

Today, I exchanged emails with a Sudanese person in Gedaref State, Sudan who says, "Yes we were out of network service for many days, but it's back now. The internet is somehow difficult to access in Gedaref, there is only one telecommnications company (Sudatel) that works, besides the heavy load of data, but the situation is stable. It doesn't work in many Gedaref State localities. However, it's good in downtown and other localities which are 50 kilometres from Gedaref town. Also, Sennar and Aj Jazira State and Blue Nile are blackout. But in some areas like Central Darfur they're using Starlink satellite network. I am in Gedaref and had a visitor today from Sennar who said there is no activation of telecommunications in Sennar." 

Also, I asked "are you using a Sudatel SIM card? I've just read this report (below) and wondered if it is possible to get those SIM cards (like the ones in report) to the yellow area of the map showing internet blackout, would they work? The answer was, "Yes, I am using a Sudatel SIM card".

I asked "is electricity supply stable in Gedaref, Aj Jazirah State, Sennar and Blue Nile?" The answer says, "It's not stable in Gedaref State about 80%, I don't know about Aj Jazira State and Blue Nile, but it's not stable in Sennar."

A few days ago, someone in London commented to me they'd spoken to people in Omdurman (15 min drive from Khartoum) via WhatsApp, the people had to visit souk Libya's market for WiFi. The voice call was clear. The person in London received more calls over past week from same person, and used a phone to transfer funds to the caller in Sudan by using Bankak. 

So, going by the above: 

• internet connectivity in Khartoum does work but is patchy;
• a place in Omburdman is OK if one can visit a WiFi spot;
• a place in South Kordofan was found to be OK;
• Sennar and Blue Nile are still in blackout; 
• network doesn't work in many Gedaref State localities;
• in Aj Jazirah State there is no network, it's still in blackout;
• 50 miles from Gedaref town there are downtown areas and localities where connectivity is good;
• in some parts of Central Darfur, Starlink is being used;
• electricity is not stable 80% of time in Gederaf State; don't know about Aj Jazirah State;
• electricity is not stable in Sennar.

My next step is to search for news on Sennar, Blue Nile, Gedaref State localities, Central Darfur to learn how people in those areas are managing in blackout and find out if anyone has received/sent a voice call/text/voicemail.

Meanwhile, if anyone affected by telecoms problems in Sudan, and the cost of running a phone, is reading this and can add further details - no matter how small - please email or post at X #keepeyesonsudan.

Going by what I have gathered so far, the telecoms situation in Sudan is extremely alarming and worrying for those living in the yellow part of the map. How are they getting news, help, food, water, meds, electricity? It's like they have been thrown back into the Stone Age. It is totally unacceptable.

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My comment posted at the map

Thanks for posting this visual. What is the source of the data? Does it include all telecoms/TV/landline telephony/mobile comms telcos/internet connectivity? A few days ago I received messages via LinkedIn from reliable sources inside Khartoum itself and in South Kordofan. If the map is accurate, maybe there's a tiny minority in the orange sections who have access to Starlink or something that is not available to the majority. If the orange section shows areas suffering a near total blackout, I am shocked and surprised there has not been a loud outcry. Are you currently located in White Nile? If so, are you and the folks you know in White Nile in total blackout? White Nile is in orange section. 

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Report from Radio Tamazuj - Port Sudan
Dated Tuesday 20 February 2024 - here is a copy in full:

Sudani SIM card frenzy in Port Sudan amid service cuts

Hundreds of Sudanese citizens flocked to the Sudani Telecommunications Company headquarters in Port Sudan to get their hands on the company’s special communication SIM cards. This surge in demand follows weeks of complete communication service interruption in Sudan, a result of the ongoing war in the country.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Monday, Haired Abdel Salam, a Sudanese citizen, said: “I’ve been attempting to acquire a Sudani SIM for four days now. It’s not about getting a new SIM; rather, I’m trying to restore my old one.” He expressed difficulty in accessing the service due to the large crowds.

Mohammed Mustafa also recounted his visit to Sudani Communications Services, stating, “I needed to obtain a SIM card for the first time because of the communication outage. However, I was taken aback by the overwhelming number of people waiting for the service.” He noted the high cost of the service, even when attempting to acquire it from outside the company premises.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Sudanese Telecommunications Company (Sudani), Engineer Majdi Mohammed Abdullah, stated that over the past five months, despite the loss of the billing system, the company has persevered in its efforts to provide services without charge. Emphasizing the importance of sustaining operations despite the incurred losses, Abdullah highlighted the commitment to continue working despite the challenges faced by the company.

In recent months, Sudan has experienced a complete halt in telecommunications services, impacting both communication and internet services. This situation has raised concerns, particularly with the interruption of essential banking services that citizens rely on, given the wartime conditions. Additionally, various other services dependent on the internet in Sudan have been affected.

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/sudani-sim-card-frenzy-at-port-sudan-amidst-service-cuts

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UPDATE by Sudan Watch Editor on 25 Feb 2024, added the following:

Sudan Watch - February 12, 2024

NetBlocks: Major internet disruption in Chad, severed fibre optic cable supplying Chad from Cameroon

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/02/netblocks-major-internet-disruption-in.html

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Sudan Watch - February 10, 2024

URGENT MESSAGE to Sir Tim Berners-Lee: The internet belongs to everyone including the Sudanese

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/02/urgent-message-to-sir-tim-berners-lee.html

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Sudan Watch - February 08, 2024

Sudan hit by internet blackout as conflict continues

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2024/02/sudan-hit-by-internet-blackout-as.html

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Sudan Watch - April 23, 2023

Sudan almost completely disconnected from Internet

Just 2% of all Internet users in Sudan have web connectivity at present

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2023/04/sudan-almost-completely-disconnected.html

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Sudan Watch - June 24, 2019

Sudan internet shutdown has a projected cost of more than $1 billion, and will continue for three months

NetBlocks, an organization that tracks Internet freedom around the world, described the blackout as a “near-total restriction on the flow of information in and out of Sudan for a significant portion of the population.”

https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2019/06/sudan-internet-shutdown-has-projected.html

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END

Sudan: Kidnappings, looting of newsrooms. Protection of journalists must be a priority.

THIS helps explain why so little hard news is coming out of Sudan: these two Dec 27 posts at X by Isma'il Kushkush @ikushkush@ of Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontières) aka RWB or (unfortunately) RSF. 

One of the posts says: "Journalists in Sudan report that, in the past eight months, 26 print newspapers have stopped publishing and ten national radio stations have stopped broadcasting. Seven local radio stations have also closed and only two are still broadcasting, albeit but randomly".

The other says: "Kidnappings, looting of newsrooms, the right to information is flouted & media professionals are trapped in the civil war that broke out 8 months ago. RSF reminds the parties to the conflict that the protection of journalists must be a priority".  Below is RWB's Dec 26 report.

"Journalists in Sudan report that, in the past eight months, 26 pr.int newspapers have stopped publishing and ten national radio stations have stopped broadcasting. Seven local radio stations have also closed and only two are still broadcasting, albeit but randomly" https://t.co/E9gCe4o1BU

— Isma'il Kushkush (@ikushkush) December 27, 2023

#Sudan🇸🇩: Kidnappings, looting of newsrooms, the right to information is flouted & media professionals are trapped in the civil war that broke out 8 months ago. RSF reminds the parties to the conflict that the protection of journalists must be a priority. https://t.co/JPIAlJk5EG

— RSF in English (@RSF_en) December 27, 2023

Note, Reporters Without Borders (RWB; French: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organisation focused on safeguarding the right to freedom of information. -Wikipedia

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Report from and by Reporters Without Borders (RWB) at rsf.org

Dated Tuesday, 26 December 2023 - here is a copy in full:

Journalists still trapped in Sudan’s civil war

As Sudan’s journalists continue to be trapped in an eight-month-old civil war, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reminds the two parties to the conflict, the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, that they could be held criminally responsible if journalists are killed or injured, and that protecting media personnel must be a priority.

Recent media victims include Amar Dhaw, a reporter for the Sudan 24 TV channel and the Saqia Press website, who was attacked and beaten by a policeman in the eastern province of Al Qadarif, at the start of December, just for filming a police car for the report he was working on, according to information gathered by RSF.

During the same period, the paramilitaries kidnapped two journalists. Sudan News Agency reporter Mohamed Abderrahim was abducted outside his home in the capital, Khartoum, on 3 December, according to the information obtained by RSF, while Bahaeddine Abou Kassem, a journalist with the daily newspaper Akhbar Al Yawm, was also kidnapped in early December, his sister reported to his colleagues, as the Sudanese Journalists’ Union said. There has been no news of either since then.

Media outlets and journalists have been subjected to serious and repeated attacks since fighting first broke out on 15 April between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

“The parties to this war must be reminded that they could be held criminally responsible in the event of attacks on the physical integrity of journalists, who are protected by international law in conflict situations. Journalists must under no circumstances be targeted, or arrested or detained for doing their job. The perpetrators will be held accountable for their misdeeds.

Khaled Drareni

RSF’s North Africa representative

The persecution of media and journalists is surging as a result of the rivalry between regular army Gen. – and de facto leader – Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has his headquarters in Port Sudan and controls the territories east of the Nile, and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, also known as “Hemetti,” the leader of the paramilitaries, who is based in Khartoum and controls several major cities in Darfur and the west of the country.

“Even crossing the street and just going out then returning to the newspaper has become an obstacle course,” Amr Chabane, the editor of the Khartoum-based newspaper Al Sudani told RSF. “We’re located in a dangerous area that has seen many clashes and shoot-outs.” 

Looted media 

The headquarters of Sudan’s General Authority for Radio and Television, which is located in the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman, was turned into a detention centre a few weeks ago, the Sudanese Journalists’ Union says, condemning “this irresponsible behaviour which exposes the country’s history heritage to destruction and disappearance.”

The union also reports that equipment is being looted from public radio and TV stations and is being sold on the city’s sidewalks. The Blue Nile TV channel has suffered the same fate. All of its equipment has been stolen and placed on sale in Omdurman’s Libya market.

Three other prominent media outlets, the Sudan 24 and Al Balad TV channels and the BBC’s Khartoum bureau, have also been vandalised and looted, according to the Sudanese Journalists’ Union, which called on all regional and international press freedom organisations to denounce what is happening, and work to stop it.

Journalists in Sudan report that, in the past eight months, 26 print newspapers have stopped publishing and ten national radio stations have stopped broadcasting. Seven local radio stations have also closed and only two are still broadcasting, albeit but randomly.

View original: https://rsf.org/en/journalists-still-trapped-sudan-s-civil-war

ENDS

SAF strikes RSF in Khartoum and North Kordofan

Report from Sudan Tribune - sudantribune.com
Published on Thursday 20 July 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudanese army strikes RSF troops in Khartoum and North Kordofan

July 20, 2023 (EL-OBEID, KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army launched air strikes on Thursday against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum and North Kordofan states as ground troops continue to engage with paramilitary fighters.

Since the eruption of the conflict, the Sudanese air forces have targeted the RSF positions in Khartoum and have reduced the arrival of their reinforcements from reaching the capital. However, recently, they operate also in strategic North Kordofan.

On Thursday, aerial bombardments were concentrated near Sports City in the south of Khartoum and in Ombada, west of Omdurman, as well as in North Khartoum and East Nile cities of Khartoum state.

Eyewitnesses reported that the airstrikes persisted into Thursday evening, with additional bombings in Omdurman’s Libya’s Market and the Al-Jeraif East and Southern Belt areas.

The escalating military attacks unfolded in parallel with renewed mediation efforts by U.S. and Saudi officials in Jeddah, seeking a ceasefire agreement to pave the way for political negotiations between the conflicting parties.

The army also accused the RSF of shelling residential areas south of Khartoum with mortar shells and spreading false videos to deceive the public.

The Sudanese army accused the RSF of seeking to use the bombs that inadvertently hit some houses during the attacks on the position of the paramilitary position in residential neighbourhoods.

Combing and special operations in central Khartoum were declared ongoing, with the regular forces successfully clearing RSF positions in southern Omdurman and eliminating their vehicles. Clashes in the Abu Saad area in Omdurman and Jabra in Khartoum killed 18 militiamen.

Combing operations in central Khartoum continue as planned, said the military spokesman adding that the regular forces reclaimed positions in southern Omdurman and eliminated RSF vehicles. Clashes in Omdurman and Khartoum resulted in the death of 18 militiamen, he added.

El-Obeid-based journalist Qureshi Awad reported heavy bombardment by the Sudanese army’s warplanes on RSF forces in the southern and western outskirts of the North Kordofan capital.

In response to the airstrikes, the RSF deployed anti-aircraft guns.

Awad added that the RSF bombings caused extensive damage to homes in the southern and western neighbourhoods of the city. (ST)

Image: Sudanese army chopper attacks RSF positions in Khartoum on April 22, 2023

View original: https://sudantribune.com/article275306/

[Ends]