Authorities in South Sudan have suspended access to social media platforms for at least 30 days after videos depicting alleged killings of South Sudanese citizens in Sudan’s Jazira state sparked riots and deadly revenge attacks.
Napoleon Adoc, Director General of the National Communications Authority, wrote – in a letter dated yesterday, Wednesday, to Internet service providers – that it was decided to implement the ban as of midnight last night.
Adok wrote – in the letter seen by Reuters – that the decision came “following the recent unrest in Sudan that exposed the people of South Sudan to unprecedented levels of extreme violence through posts on social media.”
The two mobile phone service operators, MTN South Sudan and Zain, had issued statements stating that their customers would not be able to access Facebook, TikTok and other platforms for a maximum period of 90 days.
It is noteworthy that at least 16 Sudanese citizens were killed – last week – when riots broke out in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and other places in the country.
The police in South Sudan said that young men in several cities looted and vandalized stores owned by Sudanese citizens and burned several homes, in response to what they believe is the involvement of the Sudanese army and its allied groups in the killings in the Sudanese state of Al-Jazeera.
For its part, the Sudanese army condemned what it called “individual violations” in Al-Jazira State, and formed a committee to investigate what happened.