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Sudan's military has shut down the Internet to crush a popular revolt. Here's how it could backfire.
Source: Washington Post
Sudan’s military has shut down the Internet to crush a popular revolt. Here’s how it could backfire.
By Claire Parker June 21 at 4:32 PM
Sudan has been without the Internet for three weeks, and activists say the blackout has given the ruling military council cover to violently roll-back meager gains by protesters who helped oust the country’s longtime autocratic leader.
The deliberate cutting off of the Internet is the latest in a global trend of authoritarian governments shutting down access to the Internet to quell unrest — a move that can bring to bear significant political and economic consequences. It also follows a well-worn script of the Arab Spring uprisings nearly a decade ago in which Internet blocks were used to carry out harsh punishments on demonstrators but did little to stop the cries for reform.
Experts say shutting down Internet access during upheaval can backfire, fueling wider discontent.
Sudanese authorities shut down the nation’s Internet on June 3 amid a violent military crackdown that protest organizers say killed more than 100 people. NetBlocks, an organization that tracks Internet freedom around the world, described the blackout as a “near-total restriction on the flow of information in and out of Sudan for a significant portion of the population.”
Protesters in Sudan have taken to the streets en masse in recent weeks to demand the end of military rule. Food prices and fuel shortages first sparked unrest in December and partly provoked a military coup in April that removed President Omar Hassan al-Bashir from power. Since Bashir’s ouster, a military council has ruled the country and refused to pave the way to a civilian-led government.
-snip-
By Claire Parker June 21 at 4:32 PM
Sudan has been without the Internet for three weeks, and activists say the blackout has given the ruling military council cover to violently roll-back meager gains by protesters who helped oust the country’s longtime autocratic leader.
The deliberate cutting off of the Internet is the latest in a global trend of authoritarian governments shutting down access to the Internet to quell unrest — a move that can bring to bear significant political and economic consequences. It also follows a well-worn script of the Arab Spring uprisings nearly a decade ago in which Internet blocks were used to carry out harsh punishments on demonstrators but did little to stop the cries for reform.
Experts say shutting down Internet access during upheaval can backfire, fueling wider discontent.
Sudanese authorities shut down the nation’s Internet on June 3 amid a violent military crackdown that protest organizers say killed more than 100 people. NetBlocks, an organization that tracks Internet freedom around the world, described the blackout as a “near-total restriction on the flow of information in and out of Sudan for a significant portion of the population.”
Link to tweet
Protesters in Sudan have taken to the streets en masse in recent weeks to demand the end of military rule. Food prices and fuel shortages first sparked unrest in December and partly provoked a military coup in April that removed President Omar Hassan al-Bashir from power. Since Bashir’s ouster, a military council has ruled the country and refused to pave the way to a civilian-led government.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/06/21/sudans-military-has-shut-down-internet-crush-popular-revolt-heres-how-it-could-backfire/
