Over the last decade, social media has changed our lives drastically. It has become a tool to spread awareness and lend a voice to the unheard. Social Media has given the common man a voice to speak up against their oppressors and has provided them with a platform where they can share their opinions.
Sudan is the third largest country in the African continent and the latest revolution in Sudan is a complex issue. On April 11, Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir’s corrupt regime was thrown over by the Sudanese paramilitary forces. Since then, Sudan is facing a humanitarian crisis.
What Do The People Of Sudan Demand?
The talks between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and civilians led to a dead end after a military crackdown on the peaceful protestors. The people of Sudan were pushing for a civilian government and demanding democracy, which ideally should’ve happened a long time ago.
BLUE- The Colour Of Revolution
When Mohammed Mattar, a 26-year-old activist, was shot dead during a military crackdown his friends and family decided to change their profile pictures to the colour blue because blue was his favourite colour and it was also the colour of Mattar’s profile picture. Across the globe, people have changed their profile pictures to show solidarity with Mattar’s family and most importantly with the innocent people suffering in Sudan.
But changing their profile pictures to blue is a way to initiate a conversation and bring awareness as many people will be curious as to why so many people are resorting to that and more people will talk about what’s happening in Sudan. There has already been a start and things are changing for Sudan.
The Sudanese are relying on social media because there is very little coverage of the Sudan crisis by the mainstream international media and the Sudanese national media refuses to show anything against the TMC.
It is only because of the power of social media that the ruling military council in Sudan was held accountable for the acts of violence they unleashed on their citizens and it’s due to social media that thousands of people have donated and raised funds for those struggling and suffering in Sudan. Many civil society activists are helping Sudan by starting online campaigns to provide food and medical facilities, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been helping in providing some relief to the children of Sudan.
Social Media And Change
This is not the first time that social media has made an impact on the world. For example, after the Arab Spring Philip Howard, an associate professor at the University of Washington said, “Our evidence suggests that social media carried a cascade of messages about freedom and democracy across North Africa and the Middle East, and helped raise expectations for the success of political uprising, People who shared interest in democracy built extensive social networks and organized political action. Social media became a critical part of the toolkit for greater freedom.”
Similarly, in India, the Anna Hazare anti-corruption movement garnered a lot of attention through social media as the news of an old man fasting to fight corruption reached to the remotest parts of the country. The movement had far-reaching effects and helped in the drafting of the Jan Lokpal Bill.
Internet Blackout And Its Repercussions
Since the attacks, there has been a near-total internet shut down in Sudan; the real reason to shut down internet services is to silence the voices and curb dissent. With no adequate medium of communication it has become more difficult for activists to organize mass protests and hold public gatherings. It also restricts people from sharing important and imperative news, but cutting off the internet has only amplified the voices of the oppressed and initiated a new wave of rebellion in Sudan.