Although they are costly in terms of economics and freedom, some African powers continue to abuse internet access during elections and protests. This is the case of Congo-Brazzaville, on presidential election day last Sunday. And although outgoing head of state Denis Sassou Nguesso made youth his priority by polling them on social media at the end of February, in an unprecedented survey of their needs, old habits have not disappeared.

“Network data shows an almost total collapse in national connectivity starting at midnight local time. The incident continues as the polling stations must open,” noted Internet watchdog NetBlocks.

AFP reporters also noted that internet access stopped shortly after midnight on Saturday and was still down when polling stations opened on Sunday. 

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“The Internet network has been inaccessible since shortly after midnight (Saturday 23 hours GMT). It was still open at the opening of the polling stations on Sunday at 7 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT), where 2.5 million voters are called upon to elect their President of the Republic,” reports the French Press Agency. 

Unlike the 2016 presidential election — won by Denis Sassou N’Guesso with 60% of the vote — the mobile networks, telephony and SMS, remain in service. At the time, the Congolese authorities said they wanted to “prevent the illegal publication of results.” The outgoing president, 77, who has 36 years as head of state, faces 6 rivals.

On March 16, some 50 organizations, including Internet Without Borders, in an open letter called on President Sassou Nguesso to “keep the Internet open, accessible and secure throughout the period of the 2021 presidential election.”

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The Internet and social networks “provide a space for communication, for public debate, for researching information on electoral processes and candidates, for reporting and documenting events and results,” they insisted. “Internet shutdowns undermine human rights, disrupt emergency services and cripple economies. “

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On Wednesday, between 55,000 and 60,000 members of the security forces voted in advance. This early vote is seen as a potential source of fraud by opponents of the incumbent president. The Episcopal Conference, which expressed serious reservations about the transparency and credibility of this presidential election, was denied accreditation allowing it to send election observers to polling stations.

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.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

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