The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have imposed a ban on the public use of Starlink internet devices in markets and residential areas of Zalingei, local sources said on Monday. The restrictions have been in effect since Saturday; no official reason was given.
A Zalingei resident told Darfur24 that RSF units warned Wi-Fi network operators not to offer service “for security reasons,” covering the main Zalingei market and several satellite markets. Some device owners continue using Starlink at home for limited purposes such as bank transfers, the resident added.
With telecom infrastructure badly damaged by the conflict, many people in Darfur and parts of Kordofan have relied on Starlink service provided through local shops to stay connected. Another source said some residents have traveled to displacement camps to contact relatives.
The city remains tense after a grenade was detonated at the teaching hospital on Sunday evening, killing two people and wounding others, according to local accounts.
The RSF-affiliated civil administration in Central Darfur could not be reached for comment on the Starlink restrictions.
The RSF has controlled Central Darfur since November 2023 after battles with General al-Burhan’s SAF’s 21st Infantry Division, which later withdrew from Zalingei.
