According to Internet intelligence corporation Renesys, Sudan has been cut off from the Internet. The Washington Post reports that web access was cut and schools were closed through September 30 as capital city Khartoum rioted over the lifting of government fuel subsidies.
This is the tweet Renesys sent out regarding the matter:
— Renesys Corporation (@renesys) September 25, 2013
In the past, Sudan has experienced large Internet outages due to technical problems. This time, it seems that the lack of access can be traced back to the government cutting off the Internet ahead of a large protest. The last time there was a government-directed Internet blackout was in Egypt in 2011.
"From a technical standpoint, the fact that it involved multiple distinct Internet service providers at the same time is consistent with a centrally coordinated action," Doug Madory of Renesys says, adding, "However, it is impossible to tell solely from connectivity data whether this was government-directed or a catastrophic technical failure."