from RAJI BASHIR in Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Bureau
KHARTOUM, (CAJ News) – THE confiscation of equipment, lack of funds, attacks on mobile network infrastructure and banning of Starlink are exacerbating the telecommunications crisis in Sudan.
The humanitarian community is among the sectors worst affected, in their bid to intervene in what is emerging as the most severe crisis in Africa in recent memory.
Two years into the crisis, the Emergency Telecommunication Cluster (ETC) laments that Sudan continues to face major challenges with its telecommunications infrastructure and connectivity services, with many areas facing regular internet blackouts and power outages.
These challenges have been exacerbated by the increase in drone strikes targeting critical infrastructure such as power plants.
Last month, all three of the main network operators MTN Sudan, Sudani and Zain went offline, with the companies claiming that the nationwide outage was due to Rapid Support Forces (RSF) bombardment.
RSF has denied responsibility. It maintains control in much of Darfur and the west of the country. The rival Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) controls key cities in the east.
To address nationwide connectivity limitations, the ETC continues to manage and expand connectivity from the dedicated 1G undersea cable which provides fibre connectivity to multiple locations through a so-called local loop.
Coinciding with this, a batch of telecommunications equipment has been held at Port Sudan airport since October 30 amid struggles by ETC to coordinate with authorities to expedite clearance and transport of these materials.
Authorities believe the equipment was improperly imported.
“This has resulted in delays in expanding the ETC network to additional sites,” lamented Richard Egwangu, ETC coordinator, said from the Port of Sudan.
“While ETC continues to push for high-level advocacy from the UN to the authorities to encourage the release of this equipment, the ETC is also exploring local procurement and leveraging existing supplies within the humanitarian community.”
Egwangu, revealed that in efforts to improve resilience against connectivity issues, discussions with Sudan’s National Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) led to strategies for importing more equipment such as radios and network infrastructure in small batches.
In addition, he said the continued prohibition of the importation and use of Starlink devices in the western parts of the country by the authorities in Port Sudan posed a major challenge for prospective ETC services in the region.
In 2025, the ETC requires approximately US$14 million to implement shared ICT services across Sudan in support of humanitarian operations. It has received 4 percent of its required budget.
– CAJ News