Monday, October 19, 2026 • A report by the Emergency Telecommunications and Logistics Cluster, led by the World Food Programme, warned that damaged telecommunications networks, a lack of funding and delayed licences are hindering the coordination of aid in Sudan; the three operators MTN, Zain and Sudani are working at reduced capacity, and partial connectivity has returned to Port Sudan, Kassala, Khartoum and Atbara, while Darfur and Kordofan remain almost isolated, with destroyed towers and cut fibre, yet the cluster has nonetheless kept the internet running for around 1,700 users at 70 humanitarian sites, while the funds available cover only a small fraction of a requirement put at $5.5 million (Source: Sudan Now, quoting the group's September report, October 1, 2026). • Al Balad Bank, in cooperation with MTN Sudan, launched the "Baladna Bibasata" banking service via USSD technology, bringing financial services to citizens without an internet connection and without smartphones, and enabling humanitarian organisations to carry out their transfers to beneficiaries in areas with weak coverage; the service was launched in Khartoum in the presence of the Minister of Information and the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sudan (Source: Nabdh Al-Sudan, October 6, 2026). • Bank of Khartoum announced the launch of its "iBOK" internet banking platform for individuals, which allows customers to manage their accounts and carry out their daily transfers via an internet browser on computers and tablets around the clock, with the same daily financial ceiling approved in the "Bankak" app, and a broader interface for viewing accounts and transaction statements (Source: Sudan Horizon, quoting the bank's statement, October 7, 2026). • A supplement of "Al-Masarif" magazine, issued by the Sudanese Banks Union, surveyed the applications of 31 banks offering their services via mobile phone as an alternative to cash, and pointed to the technical linking of bank applications with the Electronic Banking Services company (EBS) to enable interbank transfers, to Bank of Khartoum and Al Balad Bank opening banking services without the internet, and to the administrations of 18 banks returning to Khartoum (Source: Sudapress, on Al-Masarif magazine, issue 77 and its supplement, October 12, 2026). • An analysis by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) warned that artificial intelligence is now expanding the scope of cyberattacks and surveillance and influence operations in Africa, drawing on Anthropic's investigations into the misuse of its tools in countries including Sudan, and on Interpol's 2026 cyber threat assessment, which linked artificial intelligence to around 55% of reported cybercrimes on the continent (Source: Institute for Security Studies (ISS), October 13, 2026). • The Bank of South Sudan launched a Cybersecurity Awareness Month campaign in Juba, to reduce cyber risks, enhance operational resilience and protect public trust; the bank's Director of Cybersecurity and Business Continuity, Paul Cornelio Koryom, said the campaign educates staff about the risks of phishing, malware and social engineering, stressing that "cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility" (Source: Official website of the Bank of South Sudan, October 16, 2026).
— Technology Desk
