Authorities in Uganda have blocked all access to social media. The move comes at the very end of a tense campaign for presidential and legislative elections to be held this Thursday, January 14.
The decision fell like a chopper on Tuesday, when a coalition of NGOs had just asked the Ugandan authorities not to touch internet access before and during the elections.
According to a letter viewed by AFP and Reuters, the director of the Uganda Communications Commission, Irene Sewankambo, ordered operators to “immediately suspend all access” to all social networks and messaging services until further notice.
This Tuesday, in the middle of the afternoon, the network monitoring organization Netblocks confirmed the blocking.
“Real-time measurements show that Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype, Viber, Google Play Store, some Telegram servers and some link shortening services are among a long list of social media prescreened and not available through major Ugandan cellular network operators,” the network noted.
NGO open letter
The day before, in an open letter, 54 member organizations of the #KeepItOn coalition had asked President Museveni, candidate for a sixth term, as well as telecom operators, to guarantee that “the internet, including social media and other digital communication platforms, remains open, accessible and secure throughout Uganda for the duration of the [President-elect] elections and investiture.”
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The Ugandan authorities have in fact been repeatedly pinned down by defenders of digital freedoms for attacks on free expression on the internet. During the previous general elections in February 2016, the country experienced a similar cutoff, justified by “security reasons”. More recently, last September, the Ugandan telecoms regulator imposed an official authorization before posting content online.
access social media Uganda
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Retaliation for Facebook actions
In a televised address this Tuesday evening, President Museveni confirmed the blocking measure, explaining that it had been taken in retaliation for the closure, the day before by Facebook, of several accounts belonging to government officials or supporters. .
“I am sorry for the inconvenience for those who use these channels […], but we cannot tolerate the arrogance of those who come to tell us who is good and who is bad,” said the head of the ‘State. These social networks, if they are to operate in Uganda, must be able to be used fairly by anyone. If they want to take sides, these groups will not be able to operate [in the country]. “
Twitter for its part denounced the decision of the Ugandan power, recalling that “access to information and freedom of expression is never more important than during democratic processes, in particular elections”.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
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