South Sudan lifts temporary ban on Facebook, Tiktok after 5 days

David Afolayan
South Sudan shuts down Facebook, Tiktok for 30 days amidst violent riots
Riots in South Sudan

South Sudan authorities have lifted the temporary ban on access to social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok across the country. This was made known in a letter by the National Communications Authority (NCA) to telecoms and internet providers on Monday.

According to the government agency, the violent video content circulating online depicting the alleged killings of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan has been removed. “The rise of violence linked to social media content in South Sudan underscores the need for a balanced approach that addresses the root causes of online incitement while protecting the rights of the population,” Napoleon Adok Gai, the director of the National Communications Authority, said in the letter.

The videos showed attacks on South Sudanese refugees living in Wēd Medan, Sudan, leading to the deaths of women and children. The videos sparked violent protests and retaliatory killings across the country.

Similarly, Rights groups blamed the Sudanese army and its allies for ethnically-targeted attacks on civilians in Sudan’s El Gezira state earlier this month, after they captured the state capital Wad Madani from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The Sudanese army condemned the actions and called them “individual violations”.

Mauritius shuts down social media for 24 hours ahead of general elections

Recall that last week, the NCA announced a ban on social media for a minimum of 30 days beginning from Thursday. In a letter written by Napoleon Adok, Director General of the National Communications Authority, he directed all internet service providers in the country to suspend their services following exposure to violent content on their platforms.

This is culminating from the recent upheaval in Sudan, that has exposed the South Sudanese population to unprecedented levels of extreme violence through social media posts,” Adok wrote.

According to the NCA, the videos depicted brutal attacks on women and children, adding that they contravene Sections (9)(g)(i) and 34(6) of the country’s National Communications Act 2012. 

Citing security reasons, the NCA said the suspension was imposed under national laws, citing threats to public safety. It added that the ban may be extended to 90 days if the issues are unsolved.

South Sudan

The directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained,” the regulator said. The early reversal is in keeping with that promise.

The riots in South Sudan followed the killings of 16 Sudanese nationals last week, riots erupted in South Sudan’s capital Juba, and elsewhere in the country on Thursday and Friday. The protesters were angry about what they believed was the involvement of Sudan’s military and allied groups in the killings in El Gezira.

Social Media Restrictions in Africa

This isn’t the first time internet disruption has happened in South Sudan. In August 2021, the country experienced a 15-hour internet blackout, which the authorities registered as a technical issue.

According to an online activity tracker Surfshark report, 30 African countries have restricted social media access between 2015 and 2021, out of a total of 66 globally. “The practice of limiting social media access is usually the product of anti-democratic governments seeking to suppress citizens’ freedom,” the tracker says.

According to it, at least 16 African countries have restricted social media access in the past due to elections and at least seven have done so due to protests and demonstrations. The report described Africa as a volatile environment for social media.

Riots: Mozambique experienced 6 internet restrictions in just two weeks

Similarly, in 2024, Global Internet Observatory, Netblocks reported major internet disruptions in Kenya amid a youth-led and social media-fueled protest. 

Due to a finance bill, the demonstrations involved the circulation of live videos. Police in the country also fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and water canisters to disperse protesters in the capital, Nairobi. 

Though the country pledged not to shut down the internet in the country but made attempts to regulate social media platforms.


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