Joint Statement: Time to end Sudan’s isolation; lift the WhatsApp block now

On July 21, 2025, the the Sudanese Telecommunications and Post Regulatory Authority (TPRA) announced that WhatsApp voice and video call features would be suspended from July 25 until further notice. The blocking of WhatsApp cannot be viewed in isolation. This decision is part of a deliberate and systematic pattern of digital repression.

Since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country has been experiencing the world’s worst protection and humanitarian crisis. More than 150,000 people have been killed, and over 12 million displaced, making Sudan the largest forced displacement crisis in the world. An estimated 25 million people — nearly half of Sudan’s population — are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance amid the near-total collapse of basic services. Deepening this crisis are frequent internet shutdowns imposed by the warring parties and recent platform restrictions imposed by the authorities, including the recent blocking of WhatsApp voice and video calls, making Sudan’s crisis not only a “forgotten war,” but a deliberately silenced one. 

Access Now and PAEMA led on a joint statement of more than 60 organizations, calling for the TPRA to immediately restore full access to WhatsApp voice and video call features. The statement also calls on the international community to urgently address the protection threats people are experiencing in Sudan, and to ensure people in Sudan have access to secure and reliable internet and digital communication tools, which are essential for survival, coordination, and an effective humanitarian response.