Senegalese authorities have declared a temporary suspension of mobile data internet services shortly after President Macky Sall indefinitely postponed the nation’s presidential election.
The announcement of the internet shutdown came on Sunday in a statement by Moussa Bocar Thiam, Senegal’s Minister of Communication, Telecommunications, and Digital Affairs, one day after the election delay.
“The internet for mobile data phones is temporarily suspended from Sunday, February 4, 2024, at 10 p.m.,” stated Mr. Thiam, attributing the shutdown to “the dissemination of several hateful and subversive messages relayed on social networks in a context of threats of disturbances to public order.”
This decision followed President Sall’s decision to postpone the election initially scheduled for February 25, triggering widespread protests across the country.
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The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern over the internet shutdown in Senegal amid the election postponement, urging the government to restore internet access.
“Internet shutdowns leave journalists struggling to report the news in a timely manner, to fact-check misinformation, and to contact sources safely,” stated CPJ on Monday.
Additionally, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) on Sunday urged Senegalese authorities to promptly select a new date for the postponed presidential election in the country.