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- Civil society groups are taking the Senegalese government to court over internet shutdowns.
- The government continues to restrict mobile internet and TikTok for "security reasons".
- The Committee to Protect Journalists said the internet was crucial for media practitioners to work freely and safely and for the public to access information.
Civil society groups in Senegal have mounted a lawsuit against the government's internet shutdowns in the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court).
The case brought before the ECOWAS Court is about the government's shutdown of the internet in June, July and August last year during widespread protests against the conviction of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.
Media Defence and the Rule of Law Impact Lab at Stanford Law School have filed the case on behalf of the Senegal-based pan-African civil society organisation, AfricTivistes.
Cheikh Fall, president of AfricTivistes, said in a statement that the internet restrictions were an onslaught on basic human rights.
"The case filed at the ECOWAS Court challenges Senegal's actions, emphasising the detrimental impact on freedom of expression, media freedom, and the right to work," he said.
He added:
"We believe in an open and connected Africa, where the right to express, share, and access information is safeguarded for the greater good of society."
The lawsuit comes at a time when President Macky Sall has postponed general elections that were due on 25 February.
After a parliamentary vote that excluded the opposition, the elections are now set for 15 December.
Hence, the appeal seeks temporary measures to protect Senegalese citizens against further shutdowns in the lead-up to the presidential election.
There's hope that the courts will rule in favour of the applicants because in the past they had ruled against internet shutdowns in Togo and Guinea.
READ | Increase in internet restrictions across Africa this year - report
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in response to the lawsuit said: "The internet is crucial for journalists to work freely and safely, and for the public to access information."
Angela Quintal, head of CPJ's Africa programme, said: "Senegal's internet shutdown in early February 2024, following the postponement of the presidential election, showcased the continued need for action to curb such blunt censorship."
The first shutdown was between 1 and 8 June when internet services were blacked out.
The second shutdown was between 31 July and 7 August, limiting access daily from 08:00 to 02:00.
ALSO READ | Senegal's government blocks social media amid riots and repression
Mobile data was eventually reinstated on 7 August, but the social media platform TikTok, which had been restricted on 2 August, remained inaccessible until 7 February this year.
Shutdowns have continued in the country.
On 4 February, Senegal's minister of communication announced new measures to restrict mobile internet access "for security reasons".
This hurts freedom of expression and access to information, since 97% of internet users in Senegal depend on mobile internet.
The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
