Access to the feminist Web site www.feminista.com was blocked.
Many of the tested sites that facilitate anonymous Web surfing or circumvention of Internet filters were blocked. Additionally, some Web sites
with hacking, cracking, or WAREZ content were
blocked.
A small number of translation Web sites—
which the NTC argues are used to circumvent filtering 26 —were blocked.
Only one tested blog, Boingboing, was
blocked. This may have been an unintentional
artifact of Smart Filter, which categorizes
Boingboing as a pornographic Web site. 27 Still,
blogging is subject to scrutiny and can incur serious consequences. In October 2006, Sudan
expelled Jan Pronk, a top U.N. official, from the
country after he posted in his blog (www.janpronk.nl) sensitive statements relating to the conflict in Darfur. 28 ONI has monitored and verified
the blog’s accessibility from Sudan.
Some Web sites discussing Christianity or
criticizing Islam, such as www.islamreview.com,
were blocked.
The Arab Network for Human Rights
Information (www.hrinfo.org) reported that the
NTC blocked access to the Web site
www.sudaneseonline.com in 2004. 29 This site
was not found to be blocked during ONI testing.
Conclusion
Online pornography is extensively blocked in
Sudan, as the government openly acknowledges. Many anonymizer and proxy Web sites
are blocked, as are some sites related to
provocative attire, dating, and gay and lesbian
interests. Sudan is relatively transparent in its filtering of the Internet compared with other Arab
states, and even provides an appellate process
for challenging the blocking of a site.
NOTES
1. National Telecommunication Corporation,
Information Society in Sudan: National Strategy for
Building the Information Industry, http://www.ntc.org.
sd/english/ntc/management%20telecom%20sector/i
nformation%20technology/info_society.htm.
2. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs,
Background Note: Sudan, November 2006,
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Sudan,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61594.htm.
6. U.S. Department of State, International Religious
Freedom Report 2005: Sudan, http://www.state.gov/
g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51497.htm.
7. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Sudan,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61594.htm.
8. Sean McCormack, spokesman, U.S. Department of
State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Press statement,
Human Rights Council: Sudan Assessment Mission
Denied Visas, February 16, 2007, http://www.state.gov/
r/pa/prs/ps/2007/february/80619.htm.
9. U.N. News Centre, “Annan welcomes extension of
African Union mission in Darfur,” September 21,
2006, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?
NewsID=19948.
10. National Information Centre, Republic of Sudan
Ministry of the Cabinet, Sudan E-Readiness
Assessment Report 2006.
11. Ibid.
12. National Telecommunication Corporation,
Establishments, Objectives & Powers,
http://www.ntc.org.sd/english/ntc/estb-%20objfunc.htm.
13. National Telecommunication Corporation,
Information Society in Sudan: National Strategy for
Building the Information Industry, http://www.ntc.org.
sd/english/ntc/management%20telecom%20sector/i
nformation%20technology/info_society.htm.
14. Ibid.
15. The Republic of the Sudan, The Draft Constitutional
Text, March 16, 2005, http://www.mfa.gov.sd/arabic/
contry_leader/20060902130908.doc (in Arabic),
translated at http://www.reliefweb.int/library/
documents/2005/govsud-sud-16mar.pdf.
16. Ibid.
17. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Sudan,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61594.htm.
18. Ibid.
378
Country Summaries
Many of the tested sites that facilitate anonymous Web surfing or circumvention of Internet filters were blocked. Additionally, some Web sites
with hacking, cracking, or WAREZ content were
blocked.
A small number of translation Web sites—
which the NTC argues are used to circumvent filtering 26 —were blocked.
Only one tested blog, Boingboing, was
blocked. This may have been an unintentional
artifact of Smart Filter, which categorizes
Boingboing as a pornographic Web site. 27 Still,
blogging is subject to scrutiny and can incur serious consequences. In October 2006, Sudan
expelled Jan Pronk, a top U.N. official, from the
country after he posted in his blog (www.janpronk.nl) sensitive statements relating to the conflict in Darfur. 28 ONI has monitored and verified
the blog’s accessibility from Sudan.
Some Web sites discussing Christianity or
criticizing Islam, such as www.islamreview.com,
were blocked.
The Arab Network for Human Rights
Information (www.hrinfo.org) reported that the
NTC blocked access to the Web site
www.sudaneseonline.com in 2004. 29 This site
was not found to be blocked during ONI testing.
Conclusion
Online pornography is extensively blocked in
Sudan, as the government openly acknowledges. Many anonymizer and proxy Web sites
are blocked, as are some sites related to
provocative attire, dating, and gay and lesbian
interests. Sudan is relatively transparent in its filtering of the Internet compared with other Arab
states, and even provides an appellate process
for challenging the blocking of a site.
NOTES
1. National Telecommunication Corporation,
Information Society in Sudan: National Strategy for
Building the Information Industry, http://www.ntc.org.
sd/english/ntc/management%20telecom%20sector/i
nformation%20technology/info_society.htm.
2. U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs,
Background Note: Sudan, November 2006,
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5424.htm.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Sudan,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61594.htm.
6. U.S. Department of State, International Religious
Freedom Report 2005: Sudan, http://www.state.gov/
g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51497.htm.
7. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Sudan,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61594.htm.
8. Sean McCormack, spokesman, U.S. Department of
State, Bureau of Public Affairs, Press statement,
Human Rights Council: Sudan Assessment Mission
Denied Visas, February 16, 2007, http://www.state.gov/
r/pa/prs/ps/2007/february/80619.htm.
9. U.N. News Centre, “Annan welcomes extension of
African Union mission in Darfur,” September 21,
2006, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?
NewsID=19948.
10. National Information Centre, Republic of Sudan
Ministry of the Cabinet, Sudan E-Readiness
Assessment Report 2006.
11. Ibid.
12. National Telecommunication Corporation,
Establishments, Objectives & Powers,
http://www.ntc.org.sd/english/ntc/estb-%20objfunc.htm.
13. National Telecommunication Corporation,
Information Society in Sudan: National Strategy for
Building the Information Industry, http://www.ntc.org.
sd/english/ntc/management%20telecom%20sector/i
nformation%20technology/info_society.htm.
14. Ibid.
15. The Republic of the Sudan, The Draft Constitutional
Text, March 16, 2005, http://www.mfa.gov.sd/arabic/
contry_leader/20060902130908.doc (in Arabic),
translated at http://www.reliefweb.int/library/
documents/2005/govsud-sud-16mar.pdf.
16. Ibid.
17. U.S. Department of State, Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices 2005: Sudan,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2005/61594.htm.
18. Ibid.
378
Country Summaries