Communication Blackout in Sudan
Context:
- War-torn Sudan’s capital has experienced a communications blackout for several hours as the army and paramilitary forces waged intense battles across Khartoum.
- Power tussle: The city was engulfed in intense battles between the army and paramilitary forces, exacerbating the ongoing humanitarian crises.
- Communication breakdown: Vital internet and mobile phone connections which have been critical to sourcing information and supplies during nearly three months of war were out of service as “violent clashes” raged in several parts of the city.
- Sudan is a country in Northeast Africa with the capital city Khartoum. Khartoum, is located roughly in the center of the country, at the junction of the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers
- Bordering countries: It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Egypt to the north, Eritrea to the northeast, Ethiopia to the southeast, Libya to the northwest, South Sudan to the south, and the Red Sea.
- The Darfur region is a western region of Sudan, It is bordered by Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, and the Nile River to the east.
- Ethnic and power struggle: The ongoing conflict that has taken place in the Darfur region of Sudan since the early 2000s is often described as an ethnic and political struggle between various armed groups, the Sudanese government, and government-backed militias.
- Competition for resources: Environmental degradation and competition over resources has resulted in communal conflict and rebellions in Darfur. The rebel groups have accused the government of neglecting and marginalizing the Darfur region and its population.