Dated Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 9:19 PM GMT - full copy:
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
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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.”
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