The use of social media has been banned within the borders of the world’s youngest nation, South Sudan, for a maximum period of 90 days which started on January 22, 2025. The South Sudan National Communication Authority (NCA) announced the directive hours before midnight when the ban was enforced by the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in the country.

This move was aimed at curbing the circulation of videos showing the killing of South Sudanese nationals, as it “violates local laws and poses a significant threat to public safety and mental health,” according to the NCA, which also assured that “this directive may be lifted as soon as the situation is contained.”

The buildup to this began on January 12, when the Sudanese Armed Forces retook control of Wad Madani City of South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. Wad Madani’s recapture, however, wasn’t without casualties. The event allegedly claimed lives, which resulted in retaliatory attacks against Sudanese nationals residing in South Sudan.

These developments led South Sudan President Salva Kiir to impose a nationwide curfew to prevent further violations of public and private property. However, this measure could only do so much, as there were reports of at least three deaths and seven injuries in the country’s capital, Juba. The social discourse and propagation of the visuals prompted the government to ban social media usage.

The resultant backlash from this directive has been swift and notably spearheaded by the globally-operating digital rights defender Access Now, supported by a range of related bodies inside and outside South Sudan. They argue that the general ban on social media denies South Sudanese people access to alerts about safety, shelter, and emergency services, whilst also stifling a fundamental right to free expression, a move activist James Bidal described as “a step backwards in the country’s democratic journey.”

Meanwhile, South Sudan has never held a general election since its independence from Sudan 14 years ago. All four earlier schedules between 2015 and 2024, couldn’t go through due to Civil unrest, delays in implementing peace agreements, and, most recently, severe flooding and insufficient funds the United Nations described as a regrettable development in December 2024 when a new 2026 schedule was agreed upon. According to global conflict trackers, South Sudan suffers from one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, heightened by volatile climate change, macroeconomic shocks, and spills from the nearby civil war, as well as its continued struggles with neighbouring Sudan.