Report- Darfur24 August 29, 2026
Women in the Darfur region of western Sudan face increasing difficulties in accessing even a few minutes of internet connectivity, despite the fact that internet is become a vital tool for survival, whether in terms of receiving information or accessing funds through banking applications.
With the Darfur region’s complete reliance on Starlink satellite internet services, (the digital divide) has widened, transforming into a double dose of violence and a weapon of social and security control. This control is evident in local regulations issued by the El Geneina municipality in West Darfur, which require women to have a male guardian present to access communication devices, alongside parallel regulations that restrict women’s freedom of movement and commercial activities.
Sumaya Musa, speaking on the Darfur24 podcast, stated that the communications and telephone crisis existed in Darfur even before the outbreak of war in 2003. Vast areas were deprived of telecommunications companies services like Zain, Sudani, and MTN, denying residents the fundamental right to access and share information.
She considered the recent decisions regarding internet usage restrictions a direct form of violence, through which the authorities impose a “male-dominated gateway” to control women and deny them their digital rights.
Blaming the Victims
Musa stated that these decisions represent a civilizational and intellectual regression, dragging society back to ancient times and pushing it toward complete isolation, amidst militarization, intellectual decline, and the absence of the rule of law.
She warned that these unjust restrictions isolate women and hinder their social and economic activities, such as trading in the weekly mobile markets (“Um Durur”), and prevent them from informing their communities in emergencies, such as when fetching water or facing danger, particularly widows and those who have lost loved ones and husbands.
She pointed out that blocking phones prevents access to awareness and leads to the concealment of information related to sexual violence and emergency services.
She also stressed that resorting to local administration will not solve the problem, as it is part of a patriarchal system that protects perpetrators of gender-based violence, and under which girls are continuously oppressed. She called for the necessity of treating women as independent human beings with full rights and contributions to society.
In audio recordings played during the episode, one participant affirmed that the internet is as essential as water and electricity for accessing educational and professional services.
She explained that the network outages since the outbreak of the war have made obtaining Starlink service extremely difficult, noting that women face family and societal pressures that prevent them from using it, which exacerbates the challenges and exposes them to violations such as harassment and theft while searching internet for services.
Another testimony stated that the communications blackout has severely affected women economically, socially, and culturally, confining them to a very narrow sphere.
She said that a woman going to places where there is network coverage has become associated with a negative societal view. They are viewed with suspicion and accusation rather than understanding their need to manage financial transactions they might fear being exposed, or their efforts to communicate with family amidst the harsh conditions and displacement imposed by war.
The participants emphasized that access to the internet is a fundamental human right that should not be subject to any discrimination, just like the rights to life, health, and education.
They called for strengthening women’s digital security by providing home internet access points and boosters to avoid going to public centers and reduce security and social risks. They also called for intensifying awareness campaigns on the importance of women’s internet use, ending victim-blaming practices, and recognizing digital rights as a prerequisite for restoring normalcy in Darfur region.