Sudan generals 'will not restore' internet because it poses a threat

Sudan generals 'will not restore' internet because it poses a threat
Sudan's military rulers have said they will not restore internet access because it "poses a threat to national security" amid an information blackout following a deadly crackdown.

2 min read
12 June, 2019
Protest leaders agreed on Wednesday to end the campaign of civil disobedience [Getty]

Sudan's military rulers have said they will not restore internet access because it "poses a threat to national security" amid an information blackout following a deadly crackdown.

Shamseddine Kabbashi, the spokesman for the Transitional Military Council, made the comments to local media on Wednesday.

The internet monitoring group NetBlocks said that Sudan's remaining internet connectivity was disconnected late on Monday. Internet had largely been cut off in the capital already.

The internet blackout came a week after mobile online services were cut following a deadly crackdown on protesters that killed over 100 people.

Kabbashi said a committee had been formed to bring the military commanders who committed the killings to justice within days.

Protesters have demanded the council restore the internet and accused it of attempting to cover up the bloodshed.

Sudan has been led by a military council since it toppled president Omar al-Bashir on April 11 after months of nationwide protests against his iron-fisted rule of three decades.

Following Bashir's removal, protesters camped outside military headquarters in Khartoum for weeks to demand civilian rule, before security and paramilitary forces violently dispersed them.

The protest movement launched a campaign of civil disobedience on Sunday, and most businesses stayed closed and residents hunkered indoors for the next three days.

Protest leaders agreed on Wednesday to end the campaign of civil disobedience launched and to resume talks with the generals.

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