South Sudan orders telecoms to block access to social media for at least 30 days, could extend up to 90 days

Report by The Associated Press
Dated Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 9:19 PM GMT - full copy:

South Sudan orders temporary ban on social media over violence in neighboring Sudan

JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — South Sudanese authorities on Wednesday ordered telecoms to block access to social media for at least 30 days, citing concerns over the dissemination of graphic content relating to the ongoing violence against South Sudanese in neighboring Sudan.

The temporary ban, which could be extended to up to 90 days, will come into force at midnight Thursday, according to a directive from the National Communication Authority, NCA, to telecom companies stressing that the measure was necessary to protect the public.

“This directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained,” the NCA said. “The contents depicted violate our local laws and pose a significant threat to public safety and mental health.”

Many South Sudanese have been angered by footage from Sudan that purports to show killings by militia groups of South Sudanese in Gezira state. South Sudanese authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Jan. 17 after a night of retaliatory violence during which shops owned by Sudanese traders were looted.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned “the brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals” in Sudan and urged restraint.

Civil war in Sudan has created a widening famine and the world’s largest displacement crisis. Fighting between forces loyal to rival military leaders exploded in the capital, Khartoum, in April 2023 and has since spread to other areas.

The conflict has been marked by atrocities, including ethnically motivated killing and rape, according to the U.N. and rights groups.

View original: https://apnews.com/article/sudan-south-sudan-violence-social-media-ban-3ee3235942478fd8f2fa47b14015b84c

_______________________________

Related Report

Report from Radio Dabanga

Dated 17 January 2025 - excerpts

Nationwide curfew in South Sudan after riots target Sudanese businesses

A wave of unrest targeting Sudanese businesses has swept through South Sudan following the killing of Southern Sudanese people in Wad Madani, El Gezira, after the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) recaptured the city. South Sudan’s police chief announced a nationwide curfew from 18.00 to 06.00.

The office of President Salva Kiir Mayardit issued a statement today calling for calm following the riots. Mayardit condemned the “inhumane barbaric killings of innocent South Sudanese civilians allegedly committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces,” adding they evoked “difficult, sad, and emotional memories.”

Full story: https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/nationwide-curfew-in-south-sudan-after-riots-target-sudanese-businesses

End

S. Sudan: Deployed unified forces arrive in Malakal

Report at Radio Tamazuj, Juba 

Dated Sunday, 26 November 2023 - here is a full copy:

Deployed unified forces arrive in Malakal

Soldiers belonging to the Unified Forces sit on the ground during a deployment ceremony at the Luri Military Training Centre in Juba on November 15, 2023. (PETER LOUIS GUME/AFP)

A cohesive force of 750 individuals, comprising soldiers from the signatories to the 2018 peace agreement – namely, SSPDF, SPLA-IO, and SSOA – arrived unarmed in Malakal, Upper Nile state, on Wednesday. They were dispatched from the capital, Juba.

Confirming the arrival of the first deployed battalion in Malakal, SPLA-IO spokesperson Col. Lam Paul Gabriel told Sudans Post that the unified peace forces, deployed to Upper Nile state last week, reached the state capital on Wednesday morning.

Col. Lam pointed out that the forces await directives from the unified army command in Juba. He warned that any delay in deploying them to designated areas might pose significant challenges.

 “They are already in Upper Nile. They reached Malakal on Wednesday morning. We are waiting for further directives from the CDF [Chief of Defense Forces] and the leadership in Juba,” he said. “We wait for the committee to be able to come to the command [headquarters] in Juba, and then they let us know what to do.”

Estimating that directives would arrive within a week, Col. Lam cautioned that prolonged stay in Malakal could exacerbate challenges. He explained, “I believe it will never take long because the longer they take in one place, the more challenges could start facing them.”

He outlined serious conditions, including operation costs, arming soldiers, and ensuring food availability for deployment, especially considering the accessibility challenges in Upper Nile state.

Col. Lam disclosed that Juba expects additional forces from Unity State, Upper Nile, and Bahr el Ghazal to arrive soon before deployment. “There is also ready 150 soldiers in the Muom Training Center of Leer County in Unity State. They started their journey to Juba on Tuesday, having left Panyijiar County. They were transported to Juba, and we also have another group in Bahr el Ghazal, with an additional group in the Upper Nile region that will be in Juba within the next week.”

Hundreds of unified forces were deployed at a long-overdue ceremony on 15 November, marking progress for the country's lumbering peace process.

The unification of forces was a key condition of the 2018 peace deal that ended a five-year conflict in which nearly 400,000 people died.

View original: https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/deployed-unified-forces-arrive-in-malakal

END