Govt Internet Shutdowns Cripple Civil Society, Dissent in Africa

According to Bibbi Abruzzini of IPS, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition have documented that during 2021 at least 182 internet shutdowns in 34 countries were used as a tactic to suppress dissent and quell unrest.

This tactic has been used by multiple African governments, particularly during election periods. "African countries that went to the polls in recent years have developed an affinity to restrict internet access before, during and after elections especially in countries where there are disputes," said Leah Mitaba of the Zambia Council for Social Development.

Similarly, Chad has experienced over 2.5 years in total of internet cuts or disruptions since 2016 amid increased repression of civil society and human rights activists. "We have seen in the last five years, a close link between internet cuts and Chad's important moments of political dispute," says Abdoulaye Diarra, Amnesty International's Central Africa researcher.

Extreme cases of "digital darkness" have been recorded in Ethiopia as well. Since conflict began in Tigray, Ethiopia, in November 2020, authorities have used internet shutdowns as a weapon of information control and censorship. November 4, 2022 marks two years of deliberate internet blackouts affecting the lives of approximately six million people in Tigray and indirectly millions more.

InFocus

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