New York — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reacts positively to the recent lawsuit filed at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice against Senegal. This legal action challenges Senegal’s internet shutdowns in 2023 and aims to prevent future shutdowns, marking a significant effort to hold accountable those responsible.
Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program, emphasized the importance of the case, stating, “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 internet is crucial for journalists to work freely and safely, and for the public to access information.”
On Tuesday, Communications Minister Moussa Bocar Thiam announced the suspension of mobile internet for “certain time slots,” citing the spread of “hateful and subversive messages” provoking violent demonstrations. A planned protest was banned due to its potential to disrupt traffic.
Media Defence and the Stanford University Law School’s Rule of Law Impact Lab filed a case before the ECOWAS court on January 31, challenging the Senegalese government’s shutdowns of the internet during June, July, and August 2023. The plaintiffs in the case include Senegal-based human rights group AfricTivistes and local journalists Ayoba Faye and Moussa Ngom, the latter also working as CPJ’s Francophone Africa Correspondent.
The Senegalese government disrupted access to the internet and social media platforms in June, July, and August 2023 amid protests over the arrest and prosecution of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. President Macky Sall announced the postponement of the country’s presidential elections on February 3, 2024. Subsequently, authorities blocked access to mobile internet over the next two days, amidst protests and press freedom violations. Although mobile internet access was temporarily restored on February 7, similar access blocks to social media platforms were reported in 2021.
Editor’s note: This text has been updated in the third and seventh paragraphs to include the suspension of the internet on February 13.