Journalist for Human Rights (JHR) Sudan strongly condemned the Sudanese authorities’ decision to block voice and video calls on WhatsApp on Friday.
The Sudanese authorities’ decision to block WhatsApp voice and video calling services went into effect on Friday for an indefinite period. The Sudanese Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority announced the decision on July 20, justifying it as “a precautionary measure against security threats and to preserve the country’s security and supreme interests.”
JHR Sudan said in a statement that the action constitutes a “blatant and direct violation of internationally guaranteed human rights.” The organization emphasized that blocking WhatsApp calls constitutes a clear violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under national laws and international conventions.
According to JHR, Sudan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 19), which guarantees the right to freedom of expression and to receive and impart information. It also ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 9, Paragraph 1), which stipulates the right of everyone to access information. It also ratified the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa on November 10, 2019.
“Restricting access to digital communication media with audio and video capabilities is a serious violation of these rights, undermines the core of citizens’ fundamental freedoms, and constitutes a significant step toward imposing a comprehensive media blackout,” The JHR Sudan statement stressed.
The organization noted that the ban does not meet international standards that permit specific restrictions on certain rights in exceptional cases. That such restrictions must be necessary to address a specific threat, proportionate to it, specific in terms of time and place, based on clear and transparent legal grounds, and subject to independent judicial oversight. However, according to JHR, the current decision falls short of these standards, as sufficient public technical or legal justifications were not provided, and its duration and geographic scope were not specified, raising serious concerns that it will be used as a tool for censorship and repression rather than for maintaining security.
JHR also warned of the serious humanitarian and development repercussions of the ban. Amid the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan, digital communication has become a “lifeline for local communities, humanitarian workers, and separated families.”
“Disrupting or limiting these means at this critical time poses a direct threat to the lives of civilians, including the sick, displaced, and refugees, and constitutes an obstacle to the coordination of emergency operations and humanitarian response, and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian principles that guarantee the right to access to aid and essential services,” the statement added.
JHR Sudan highlighted the negative impact of the ban on Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons, saying Sudanese living abroad, including millions of refugees, rely on WhatsApp as their primary means of communication with their families inside the country.
“The ban could sever the lifeline of family and human contact between families separated by war, increase their anxiety and psychological distress, and disrupt support efforts, remittances, and aid reaching those in need from abroad,” JHR Sudan said.
Amidst the institutional collapse and lack of services, WhatsApp has become a vital tool used by citizens to search for missing persons and share their photos and information. These community efforts have helped reunite some families who lost contact during displacement or bombardment.
JHR Sudan called on the Sudanese authorities to immediately lift the ban on online audio and video communication services, ensure the possibility of legal appeal against such decisions, and provide an independent judicial oversight mechanism.
The organization also called on the United Nations, the African Union, and international human rights organizations to urgently intervene and pressure the Sudanese authorities to respect their international human rights obligations.
JHR stressed that the continuation of these policies “consolidates and entrenches a dangerous pattern of digital restrictions and undermines efforts to achieve justice, peace, and stability in Sudan.”
The organization called on the Sudanese press, civil society, and all active forces to “raise their voices against this arbitrary measure and resist it through all legitimate means, including technically challenging it by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which allows for a secure, encrypted connection to the internet and ensures the concealment of one’s IP address, thus increasing the level of protection and reducing risks.”
JHR also advised WhatsApp users in Sudan to use a comprehensive antivirus program to ensure the highest possible level of security, and called on all professionals to contribute to spreading the culture of digital safety and protection.
The statement concluded with an explicit call for people to speak out against the decision to block voice and video calls on WhatsApp.
“It is an arbitrary decision that restricts and suppresses freedom of expression and information, and imposes unjust financial burdens beyond the capacity of internet users in Sudan,” JHR Sudan ended.