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South Sudan Wednesday, January 22, 2025, took drastic measures to curb the spread of violence by suspending access to major social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, following a wave of protests and deadly attacks.
The 30-day ban comes in the wake of graphic videos showing the brutal killings of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan’s El Gezira state. These images, shared widely on social media, ignited outrage, triggering violent retaliations across South Sudan.
The government’s decision to block social media for a minimum of 30 days was confirmed by Napoleon Adok, the Director General of South Sudan’s National Communications Authority. In a letter to internet service providers, Adok explained that the decision aimed to reduce the circulation of inflammatory content, which had fueled widespread unrest. He cited the recent violence in Sudan, which had made South Sudanese citizens vulnerable to unprecedented levels of graphic violence through social media.
Major mobile network providers, MTN South Sudan and Zain, announced that customers would be unable to access platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and others.
The unrest began in response to the videos circulating online, which depicted the murder of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan’s El Gezira region. These videos led to violent protests in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, and other cities, where at least 16 Sudanese nationals were killed. Mobs, driven by anger over what they perceived as the Sudanese army’s involvement in the killings, looted and burned Sudanese-owned businesses, setting homes on fire in the process.
The Sudanese military has condemned the killings, describing the incidents as “individual violations” by certain factions within the country. However, the condemnation did little to quell the anger that had gripped South Sudan, leading to the social media ban.
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