Egypt unblocks websites banned after reports of soldiers captured in Sudan

Several websites are back online after it is thought that Egyptian authorities blocked them for covering the capture of Egyptian soldiers in Sudan.

BBC and @AlMasryAlYoum and @AlArabiya are now accessible on most networks in Egypt after being ‘throttled’ yesterday https://t.co/Cq5DahZqSe

— hossam bahgat حسام بهجت (@hossambahgat) April 17, 2023

On Saturday afternoon Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) released a video of Egyptian soldiers surrendering. The Egyptian Armed Forces have said they are working to get them home.

Roughly 100 people have died as fighting broke out between the RSF and the Sudanese army over the weekend.

The violence has spread across Sudan and the World Health Organisation has said that there is a shortage of medical supplies at hospitals.

Analysts have said that Egypt may become involved in the fighting. Cairo and Khartoum signed a military agreement in 2021 and have been moving closer together and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi supports Sudan’s army.

Sudan: RSF rebels detain Egyptian soldiers as they take airport during coup

The Egyptian government began blocking websites in May 2017 leading to the suspension of some 600 websites, most of them accused of “spreading lies” and “supporting terrorism”.

In 2018 Egypt passed the Press and Media Regulation law and the Cybercrime law and use both pieces of legislation to justify the blocking of websites.

Any person with a social media following of over 5,000 can also be blocked.

Since the coup in 2013 Egyptian authorities have worked on stamping out all forms of free speech in the country, including cracking down on media outlets.

Reporters Without Borders has said that Egypt is “one of the world’s biggest prisons for journalists.”

Earlier this month the Egyptian parliament approved a draft law under which anyone who publishes false information about the weather can be charged $180,000.

Members of the Tourism and Civil Aviation Committee said that the draft law was necessary to stop false news which may harm the national economy.

In March, three Madr Masr journalists were set to face trial for charges of “misusing communications channels” and “offending MPs” after they reported on gross financial misconduct among members of Sisi’s Nation’s Future Party.

Madr Masr has been blocked in Egypt since 2017.