Summary:

• Telcos in East Africa restore Internet service after submarine cable damage, while ongoing investigations in Yemen delay repairs on another damaged cable.

Telcos in East Africa, including Kenya and Uganda, have resumed network services four days post the damage to two submarine Internet cables connecting South Africa and Kenya, owned by Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy) and Seacom.

Safaricom announced on May 16, 2024, that network services are back online for its Kenyan subscribers. Similarly, Airtel Uganda reported that its Internet services have returned to “near normal” levels.

Orange Marine’s vessel, Léon Thévenin, departed Cape Town Harbour on May 14, 2024, en route to the fault sites on EASSy and Seacom cables. The ship, equipped with cable repair tools and a remotely operated vehicle, is expected to arrive on May 18.

In February 2024, three subsea cables in the Red Sea were destroyed, linking Africa and Southeast Asia to Europe. Houthi rebels were held responsible for the damage.

The Yemeni government has hindered repairs on the AAE-1 cable, damaged in the Red Sea, due to an ongoing criminal investigation into possible ties between cable owners and Houthi rebels.

While the investigation continues, the government will not permit cable ships to repair AAE-1.