The QZ reports that Togo is the latest African nation to shut down access to the internet after protests against president Faure Gnassingbé were scheduled to take place this week.
Early this year Cameroon imposed a 93-day internet blackout on the country’s Anglophone regions which spoke out their marginalization by the French-speaking government. The blackout lasted for 93 days, despite international criticism.
Internet users and demonstrators in the West African country have reported access to the internet had slowed down or been blocked by the government. This was confirmed by Koffi Inoussa Ayibo, president of the Togolese branch of Internet Without Borders, who said the NGO found internet connectivity had been cut off on WhatsApp, Facebook, and, later, all mobile internet services after conducing a series of tests.
Internet is completely shut down in #Togo. Faure Gnassingbe bring back our internet.
People let’s tweet by text. #Togoviwofon #TogoDebout— Farida Nabourema (@Farida_N) September 6, 2017
Togo under total blackout. No internet they are trying 2 silence our people, but they can only try. #restoreinternetinTogo @partitogolais
— Aniki Fongbemi (@aniki_fongbemi) September 6, 2017
Last year alone, over 11 African countries shut down internet access ahead of elections and anti-government protests. In Gabon and the Gambia, internet was shut down during and after elections while, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo closed off internet access ahead of anti-government demonstrations.