JUBA, South Sudan (Kaab TV) – Authorities in South Sudan have lifted a temporary ban on Facebook and TikTok, a week after restricting access to the platforms due to the circulation of graphic videos allegedly showing the killings of South Sudanese nationals in Sudan.
The videos, which sparked violent protests and retaliatory killings across South Sudan, have since been removed, according to a Jan. 27 statement from the National Communications Authority directed at telecom and internet providers.
The country’s telecommunication authority blamed the rise of violence to the social media.
“The rise of violence linked to social media content in South Sudan underscores the need for a balanced approach that addresses the root causes of online incitement while protecting the rights of the population,” said Napoleon Adok Gai, director of the National Communications Authority.
Rights groups have accused the Sudanese army and its allies of carrying out ethnically targeted attacks on civilians in Sudan’s El Gezira state earlier this month, following their capture of Wad Madani, the state capital, from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
In response, the Sudanese army condemned the incidents as “individual violations” captured on video and widely shared on social media.