16 May 2024
A coalition of non-governmental organisations has called for the urgent re-establishment of telecommunications infrastructure in Sudan, following a year of warfare in the country.
94 humanitarian, civil society and human rights organisations have appealed to various bodies – including the UN, the Sudanese government and Starlink – for the uninterrupted provision of telecommunications services in the war-torn country.
“We call upon all stakeholders to ensure the uninterrupted provision of telecommunication services in Sudan. Any shutdown of telecommunication services is a violation of human rights,” said the organisations.
The coalition says telecommunications infrastructure has been targeted by the various warring factions during the conflict, and this is affecting the provision of aid and food, and says the country is on the brink of becoming the world’s worst hunger crisis.
“Both sides have consistently used targeted attacks on telecommunication infrastructure or the imposition of bureaucratic restrictions (such as the banning of the importation and use of certain satellite-internet devices) severely impacting civilian populations,” said the coalition.
The humanitarian collective has called on combatants to refrain from attacking and damaging telecommunications infrastructure, and to facilitate the rehabilitation of any damaged systems. The coalition has also called for an easing of restrictions of satellite internet services to facilitate the importation of satellite-internet devices.
