South Sudanese authorities have ordered a temporary ban on social media platforms for at least 30 days, citing the spread of graphic content related to ongoing violence against South Sudanese nationals in neighboring Sudan.
The National Communication Authority (NCA) issued a directive to telecom companies, stating that the restriction would take effect at midnight on Thursday. The ban could be extended for up to 90 days if deemed necessary.
“This directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained,” the NCA announced, adding that the content being circulated violates local laws and poses a significant threat to public safety and mental health.
The move comes in response to widespread outrage in South Sudan over footage allegedly showing militia groups in Sudan’s Gezira state committing brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals. Following retaliatory violence in Juba on January 17—during which shops owned by Sudanese traders were looted—South Sudanese authorities also imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, chairperson of the African Union Commission, condemned the “brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals” in Sudan and called for restraint.
Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023 with clashes between rival military factions, has led to severe atrocities, including ethnically motivated killings and rape, as reported by the United Nations and human rights groups. The conflict has fueled a humanitarian crisis, creating famine and the world’s largest displacement crisis.
Source : https://www.arabnews.com/node/2587451/middle-east