Paradigm Initiative Criticizes Senegalese Government For Violating Digital Rights

By Samuel Ouma

Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has urged the Senegalese government to promptly reopen the nation's social media and Internet infrastructure.

This comes after the West African country's social media platforms were shut down following the chaos that erupted in Dakar and Ziguinchor in the south after the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko.

“As a Pan-African organisation, we are pained to see the degradation of democracy and human rights in countries that are deemed role models in terms of peacebuilding and political justice on the continent. It is our hope that the Senegalese institutions and civil society will act to restore the rights of the citizens to use the Internet for the best,” said PIN in a statement.

“Among the incidents we can cite are: the interruption of Telegram, Twitter and other social media platforms, the use of data by the police from unofficial sources (such as Anita TV) endangering the lives of targeted individuals and media censorship of Walf TV’s transmission.”

The organisation demanded an immediate halt to disseminating false information and advocating violence by government and opposition supporters.

It also urged the Senegalese government to safeguard the digital safety and security of media and journalists in reporting unbiased news about current events in the country.

The pin also wants President Macky Sall's administration to support free expression by freeing young people who were wrongfully imprisoned for disseminating material not shown to be disinformation or false via due process of law.

PIN also recommends that the Senegalese government form a committee comprised of government officials and civil society to ensure that such outages do not occur again during elections and that network providers provide citizens with a continuous internet connection.

"As much as many think this is only a political issue, it is more of a human rights issue. Unlawful arrests of young people and political opponents constitute human rights violations," the organisation added.

Senegal, although maintaining a reputation as one of West Africa's most stable democracies, has been subjected to a long history of human rights breaches in recent years.

Following protests in 2021, social media platforms were shut down for many hours. Multiple networks observed internet outages as well as a social media blackout.