Nine African Nations Facing the Most Internet Shutdowns in 2024
By the time you hear about an internet shutdown, the damage has often already set in, like ripples spreading across a pond. According to a report from the vigilant watchdogs at Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition, Africa saw an unsettling record of 21 internet shutdowns across 15 of its nations last year—a stark increase from the previous records of 19 in both 2020 and 2021. This begs the question: what compels governments to flip the switch in times of turmoil?
Among the affected countries were places like Sudan, Tanzania, and Senegal, all of which have wrestled with the specter of digital silence before. Joining them in this spectrum of disconnection were others, such as Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, and Nigeria. Glance at the map, and you’re tracing a path beset by frequent unrest and the heavy-handed tactics often used to quell dissenting voices.
The echo of silence is usually loudest in moments of political turbulence—elections teetering on the edge of fairness, or security challenges tightening their grip. Authorities tend to wield this weapon of shutdowns ostensibly to maintain order. But does cutting off conversation really bring peace, or does it feed the fires of resistance?
To widen the lens, the global landscape itself witnessed a surge, with a staggering 296 shutdowns recorded across 54 countries. A leap from 283 shutdowns in 39 lands the previous year. Access Now labeled this the bleakest year since their tracking commenced in 2016, underscoring that increasingly, internet shutdowns are deployed as tools for information control, particularly during crises.
Can such actions be justified? The global count of internet blackouts has reached 1,754 since 2016, painting a troubling picture of disrupted communications during critical events. While authorities often cast the veil of national security as their defense, critics argue these moves trample on digital rights, sidelining freedom of expression. As one observer aptly put it, “If you shut down the internet, you shut down the truth.”
Africa loses more from internet shutdowns
The monetary strain of these shutdowns is undeniably alarming. A report from Top10VPN elucidates how Sub-Saharan Africa alone faced a financial blow—approximately $1.56 billion lost due to an overwhelming 32,938 hours of internet disruption. More than 111.2 million lives were touched by this digital darkness, affecting everything from the economy to the very core of daily life. Can nations grow economically when such expansive obstacles are regularly erected?
Despite international admonishments, African countries continue to opt for this draconian measure. The shadow of shutdowns grew longest over Sudan and Tanzania, each recording the highest number of occurrences—four, to be precise—driven by political unrest and oppressive crackdowns on opposing views.
- Sudan and Tanzania, grappling with political turbulence and government crackdowns, topped the list with four shutdowns each.
- Senegal, characterized by political protests, followed closely with three incidents of internet blockage.
- Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, and Uganda each experienced two, often in reaction to national elections or spark points of protests.
Globally, Myanmar led with 85, sidelining India for the first time since 2018, which logged 84 shutdowns this year. Pakistan reached its highest ever with 21, while Russia’s aggression extended to seven shutdowns in Ukraine amidst the invasion. How do we navigate a world where shutting off the internet becomes a readily wielded weapon against discourse?
When communication is stifled, it’s not just conversations that are lost. It’s data flow, dialogue, and development—and ultimately, the potential for peace and progress. We must ask ourselves: is this the legacy we want to leave in our struggle between state control and digital freedom?
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring.
