The Internet blackout that has affected the whole of Sudan today does not seem to be linked to a momentary technical problem. The government could be behind the failure.
The Internet Intelligence Corporation Renesys confirmed the cut from the world network of the African country, which spoke of a possible cause linked to the riots that erupted in the capital Khartoum after the revocation of government fuel subsidies.
“If the direct link to the Sudanese government is confirmed, this would be the biggest government-caused disruption in Egypt since 2011,” says Doug Madory of Renesys. There have been blackouts in Sudan, but today's one appears different, linked to the protest.
“From a technical point of view – adds Madory – the fact that it involved different Internet service providers at the same time is in line with a centrally coordinated action. However, it is impossible to tell, solely from the connectivity data, whether it was a problem related to the will of the Government or a real catastrophic technical failure".
The current unrest in Sudan has left at least two dead and government forces continue to fire tear gas at protesters who set themselves on fire in front of a police checkpoint.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Sudan to cut subsidies following the independence in 2011 of South Sudan, the main oil producer. Previous attempts to eliminate the subsidies had sparked similar protests, but "those riots were crushed by a heavy crackdown on protesters, activists and journalists," according to the Associated Press.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has ruled the African country since 1989, when he came to power in a military coup. He is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes related to the conflict between the government and rebels in the Darfur region, which has claimed the lives of some 300.000 people since 2003.
