Regional shutdown
Khartoum
Internet services were again reportedly limited in Khartoum, Sudan on 30 December 2021 in response to further protests against the military and its ongoing coup. This recent event follows another report of an Internet shutdown on 25 December 2021. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact citizens’ ability to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country or in other countries.
- Total Duration 11 hours
Sudan
- Population
- 50,042,791
- UN Classification
-
- Least Developed Country
Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Not Free
Local impact
Internet services were again reportedly limited in Khartoum, Sudan on 30 December 2021 in response to further protests against the military and its ongoing coup. This recent event follows another report of an Internet shutdown on 25 December 2021. Internet shutdowns during protests or civil unrest impact citizens’ ability to get accurate information from government sources when they need it most. It also becomes harder for citizens to contact family members and friends in other parts of the country or in other countries.
Other supporting information
Google Transparency Report shows the recent shutdown impacted Google services, dropping from nearly 50% to less than 20% during the 13-hour event. This was not as dramatic as the impact on 26 December.
Social media
Deeply troubled by reports that Sudanese security forces used lethal force against protesters, blacked out the internet, and attempted to shutdown media outlets. The U.S. stands with the people of Sudan, as they demand freedom, peace, and justice. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 30, 2021
Return of internet & communication service after being disrupted for hours in Sudan on day of widescale demonstration#Dec30thMarch #مليونية30ديسمير #السودان @hrw_ar @netblocks @amnestyusa @AmnestyAR @hrw https://t.co/TsKM93LWtl— ترند السودان | SudanTrend (@SudanTrend) December 30, 2021
#SudanCoup leaders cannot control Sudan. They proved that again during #Dec30March for #democracy by shutting down phones & Internet, interrupting news broadcasts, blockading bridges, threatening attorneys for rape survivors, and indiscriminate violence against peaceful protests. pic.twitter.com/LpPLS4rfuL— Jon Hutson (@JonHutson) December 30, 2021
#Sudan: Protests have broken out in cities across the country today against the Sudanese military regime. Security forces in Khartoum have reportedly cut off mobile and internet services and used tear gas in an attempt to stop the protests. https://t.co/e8FlpjHjeC pic.twitter.com/or3W8Vq4dk— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) December 30, 2021
Internet services appeared to be disrupted in the Sudanese capital Khartoum ahead of planned protests, with a source from a telecoms company saying the order to shut down came from the Sudan National Telecommunications Corporation. | 🔗https://t.co/XRHqNlcw5j#ChannelAfrica pic.twitter.com/ReO3F0nZQ9— Channel Africa (@channelafrica1) December 30, 2021
Urgent call.. Due to the complete interruption of communications and the Internet from Sudan, including international communications, please send SMS text messages to every doctor or nurse in Khartoum from your acquaintance with the need to go to the nearest hospital to help
— Tamirat Teshome (@tamtes7) December 30, 2021
Media coverage
Urgent call.. Due to the complete interruption of communications and the Internet from Sudan, including international communications, please send SMS text messages to every doctor or nurse in Khartoum from your acquaintance with the need to go to the nearest hospital to help
— Tamirat Teshome (@tamtes7) December 30, 2021