Sudan … restrictions on “Starlink” devices

Follow-up- Al-Zawiya Net- Residents of North Darfur State complain of increased restrictions imposed by the parties to the conflict on the space Internet users “Starlink”, amid charges of cooperation with the parties to the fighting, which led to a wave of arrests and the inspection of mobile phones.

A number of residents of the city of Kumt, located 136 km northwest of Al -Fasher, which is controlled by the Rapid Support Forces, told “Darfur 24” that a number of citizens arrested by the Rapid Support Forces from the “Starlink” centers on charges of cooperating with the Sudanese army and joint force and sending military information to it.

Iman, p, stated that the citizens are afraid to speak any matter regarding the war or the progress of the army, while stressing the search of phones when there are doubts.

She pointed out that one of her relatives was transferred to the detainee after seizing a video in his phone showing elements of the Sudanese army inside the Republican Palace, and he was released after being fined in the amount of one million and 300 thousand Sudanese pounds, which was paid through banking applications.

The Darfur region has been suffering from the interruption of traditional communication services for nearly three years due to the war, so that the “Starlink” devices become the main means of communication and conducting banking transactions.

A number of citizens in Al -Fasher, North Darfur, complained of the ban on speaking with voice calls in the “Starlink” centers, as well as strict security supervision.

The citizen Bahaa El -Din Abdel Rahman said, according to Darfur 24, that the security authorities sometimes grant only two hours to open the Internet centers, and it is forbidden to speak with voice calls, and accurate searches for phones are conducted in search of evidence of communication with hostile parties.

According to eyewitnesses, the joint force of the armed movements arrested a number of civilians from the “Starlink” centers on charges of cooperation with the Rapid Support Forces, and kept them in long -term detention centers before their release.

A military source in the Sudanese army acknowledged the validity of strict measures on Internet centers and preventing audio communications, justifying this with the presence of security threats affecting the besieged city.

The source, who preferred to withhold his name, told “Darfur 24” that some of the elements cooperating with the Rapid Support Forces are determining accurate coordinates of the running and artillery aircraft directed to bombing notables and military sites, which prompted to prevent the use of “Starlink” devices permanently inside the city, with specifying specific hours daily for citizens to use the Internet, not exceeding two hours, while preventing sound communications.

In the city of Melt, located 65 km north of El Fasher, a number of citizens confirmed that the Rapid Support Forces confiscated a number of “Starlink” devices, maintained a limited number of them in the city market, operating under its management, and practicing a careful search of phones.

Ahmed Ismail, one of the volunteers in Melt City, told “Darfur 24” that the Rapid Support Forces impose an integrity on Internet centers and prevent individuals from possessing Internet devices outside the authorized places.