By Zuleikha Ahmed
01:09:2021

South Sudan was silent as security forces and police were deployed after activists called for a protest against President Salva Kiir’s government that saw internet services disconnected and restored late that evening. In Juba, most residents remained indoors.

Residents from the Juba area said that their networks, including the South African MTN network and Kuwait’s Zain Group, had been down. The British group monitoring the networks in the South Sudan region confirmed interferences in the mobile and internet networks.

President Silva Kiir was due to address lawmakers at parliament on Monday.

The coalition of activist groups called for Kiir’s resignation, accusing his government of corruption and failing to protect the population or provide essential services. The government has denied these allegations repeatedly.

By mid-afternoon, there was no sign of any gatherings in the capital, Juba. Some activists told the media they were in hiding for security reasons.

In a statement, police said they had deployed forces to assure the people of their safety by monitoring the situation and ensuring that no one would be harmed in trying to stop the protest.