Gambia Joins The Roster Of African Countries To Disrupt Internet Access This Year

2

fast internet

Internet use in today’s world has become mainstream rather than the exception. We have been accustomed to using the internet thanks to the rise of smartphones and cheaper data plans. Internet use has made it easier for people to communicate around the world or within a certain society and some authorities do not like that.

That is why from time to time, we get to hear stories of governments cutting off access to the Internet due to various reasons. Gambia is the latest country to do this and it is linked to the election.

Gambia is scheduled for an election today where the incumbent is seeking a fifth term. They apparently shut down the internet on the eve of the event. That is not all, they have also locked down the ability for people to make foreign calls.

The move of course was not met with joyous praise and admiration on social media, but rather more like an angry crowd with pitchforks and burning effigies. People expressed their disappointment and hoped that the election goes on peacefully.

It is reported that the blackout is being extended all the way to Saturday, which is rather unfortunate.

Gambia is not the only African country to block its citizens from accessing the web due to some reason. Uganda had an election on February this year and they subsequently blocked access to the web which was met with a lot of opposition. Ethiopia blocked Internet access due to exams and protests in the country. According to the UN, Internet is now considered as a human right and these countries have clearly violated that and it only grows the list of countries that have disrupted Internet access to its citizens.

2 COMMENTS

  1. […] African countries have intensified efforts to build relevant capacity on the continent to fully exploit opportunities presented by the internet. With the internet permeating virtually every aspect of life, in Africa, businesses and governments are increasingly relying on internet as a vehicle for transformation. However, insufficient skills have slowed down the continent’s utilization of the internet’s benefits. Deliberate steps are necessary to address the capacity challenges. Delegates from the region and officials from the global body responsible for assigning names and numbers, converged in Nairobi today to discuss how to leverage on the positive impact of the internet and how it can be translated into meaningful socio-economic gains. […]

Comments are closed.