First quarter of 2017 saw Cameroun in the eye of the storm for Internet shutdowns in north-west and south-west region, just as it was top on agenda at the Internet Freedom Forum (IFF) writes Remmy Nweke.
Of late, there has been a new form of
clamp down on the society and citizens particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa,
latest of such crack downs being on the people of North-Western and
South-Western regions of Cameroun leaving some 5 million people in the
dominantly Anglophone regions, inaccessible.
Investigations by DigitalSENSE
Business News showed this shutdown gave way after some 94 days without access
to the Internet for these regions, which attracted lots of condemnations and
petitions across the globe on the government of Cameroun led by Mr. Paul Biya,
who has been on the saddle for some 35 years, amidst alleged marginalization by
these regions across all shades.
At the initial protest on Internet shutdown, Biya
was quoted to have declared that he is no different from other African leaders
in Gabon, Ethiopia, Chad, Uganda, the Gambia, Democratic Republic of Congo, the
Republic of Congo to name a few, who have used internet restriction to oppress
the opposition voices against injustice and marginalization.
This was when it dawned on observing civil
rights community and activists that, the shutdown style of governance may be assuming
another dimension in the leadership of Africa.
#BringBackOurInternet:
Worried, a couple of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
stakeholders globally wrote the President of Cameroon, Mr. Paul Biya and
agencies in-charge of telecommunications to return Internet access to the
region. A copy of the letter dated January 22 and made available to DigitalSENSE
Business News by Internet Without Borders, insisted that an
internet shut down is a human rights violation.
The CSOs made up of Access Now, Internet Sans
Frontières, Internet Sans Frontières-Togo, Africtivistes, Cameroon Ô Bosso, implored
President Biya, to restore the Internet, arguing that research has shown that
internet shutdowns and violence go hand in hand, just as shutdowns disrupt the
free flow of information and create a cover of darkness that allows repression
to occur without scrutiny.
Frenzy
shutdowns:
Disturbingly, the Republic of Cameroon would
be joining an alarming global trend of government-mandated shutdowns around
election issues, a practice that many African Union member governments have
recently adopted as a way of governance, including: Burundi,
Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, Gabon, Egypt, Sudan, the Central African Republic,
Niger, Democratic Republic of Congo, warning
it must never be allowed to become the new normal. Although it will hit
hard on the burgeoning digital economy, known as Cameroon’s Silicon Mountain,
Buea, and plugs whole societies into fear and destabilizing the internet’s
power to support small business livelihoods and drive economic development.
CRAC
insists on reversal:
Still concerned with the foregoing,
DigitalSENSE Africa, an At-Large Structure (ALS) at the Internet Corporation
for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), on behalf of African-based Cyber Rights
Advocacy Coalition (CRAC), sent a letter to President Paul Biya, according to
the Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa, Nkemdilim Nweke, describing
the Internet shutdown as uncalled for in the first instance at this era of
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) ruling the world.
"We are mostly disturbed that this shut
down by the government of Cameroun under your watch, has led to disconnection
and lack of Internet connectivity in two regions, at a time country like Canada
a few days before proclaimed a high-speed internet, a basic service
"necessary to the quality of life" of all Canadians," she said,
stressing that the coalition like every forward looking organization of repute
sees the future of African countries including the Republic of Cameroun and
their economies, as well as efforts to largely alleviate poverty in the
society; greatly depending on the availability and quality of Internet access
to the citizenry at this 21st century and beyond.
… Negation
of Africa’s 2063 agenda:
The coalition noted, this action not only
negates the possibility of Central Africa not meeting the Africa’s target
within the 2063 Agenda, but Republic of Cameroun, being adversely affected both
in the infrastructure development and human capital. Soliciting as matter of
urgency reversal to the order given to the service operators through the
Ministry of Post and Telecommunications.
Also CRAC urged the Economic Community of
Central African States (ECCAS) to quickly liaise with other regional and
continental bodies to ensure a change of heart by Mr. Biya’s government.
Pointing out that ECCAS intervention would send the right signal to Mr. Biya
and any other African country that may be thinking on following this ugly
footstep, mostly in ECCAS region to realise the essence of the Internet to
today daily existence.
ECCAS was implored to initiate a roundtable
diplomatic process to Mr. Biya’s government to discuss the implications of
their step among other begging issues in Cameroun, Central Africa and the
continent as a whole. Decrying that most African nation’s especially within
ECCAS are now adopting Internet starvation against the citizens as a political
weapon, lamenting that Cameroun is the 10th African country to disconnect its
citizens from the Internet in recent times. Out of this figure, 7 are members
of ECCAS, namely Burundi, Congo-Brazzaville, Chad, Gabon, the Central African
Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, while the rest are Egypt, Sudan, and
Niger.
"Above all, the citizens access to the
world should be upper most in the African leadership," CRAC said, urging
for guaranteed internet access without further restriction to these two
regions: South West and North West; otherwise known as Anglophone regions;
reinstate commitment to keeping the internet connected and accessible,
including social media to the people of Republic of Cameroun; collaborate with
the African Union (AU), ECCAS in resolving whatever seemingly problem suspected
to have led to the shut down in first instance; and to embrace a new slogan of
‘Internet is for everyone’ because any clamp down on one is an injury and
violation of cyber rights of citizens.
Shutdown
going above board:
Reacting, the
Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative (PIN), Mr. ‘Gbenga Sesan, told
DigitalREALMS that issue of shutdown in Africa has gone above board, hence it
was top on agenda at the Internet Freedom Forum (IFF) hosted in Lagos recently
by PIN, which saw stakeholders working on digital rights in Africa including
the academia, civil society representatives, media, technology companies,
government agencies and active citizens, assembling for a common purpose.
He
underscored the fact that IFF discussed how to safeguard the digital rights and
freedoms of citizens in Africa and beyond, citing the United Nations Human
Rights Council (UNHRC), in its 32nd session in June 2016 had declared that “the
rights that people enjoy offline should also be protected online” which is a
forceful reminder to governments, telecommunications companies, civil society
and all stakeholders that human rights across digital platforms must be upheld.
“As
we spend more of our time online across digital platforms, protecting the same
rights and freedoms people enjoy offline such as freedom of opinion, expression
and association on online platforms becomes increasingly important; especially
set against the background of recent Internet shutdowns, the arrests of
ordinary citizens for expressing their right to freedom of expression online,
the enacting of legislation which curtails free speech on digital platforms,
and government mandated surveillance of citizens in Africa,” Sesan said.
92 days
after:
However, some 92 days later, President Biya’s government
restored
connection to about 5 million people living in the anglophone regions of the
country, which follows an official statement by the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary. He said that the Northwest and Southwest
Regions have been restored with Internet Connections due to social situation
linked to the demands expressed by English-speaking lawyers' associations,
extremist activists, driven by secessionist intrigues, who took the opportunity
to disseminate hate messages and incite violence and abuses of all sorts.
He alleged instigation of elites which left
children molested and prevented from returning to school, whereas men and women
saw their daily activities disrupted, public and private buildings were burned,
others were attacked, among others. Insisting that those criminal activities,
fall within the scope of the law, notably the one relating to the repression of
acts of terrorists, have been perpetrated for the most part via social
networks.
“These information and communication
technologies, essential tools of economic and social progress which benefit
from the constant solicitude of the Head of State, have thus unfortunately been
detoured by the enemies of the republic,” Bakary said.
States
& public order:
Also, the minister said that in such
circumstances, the public authorities had an imperative duty to restore order,
to ensure the security of citizens and their property, and to guarantee the
functioning of administrative services. Maintaining that the government of the
Republic, had to, among other security measures suspend Internet connections in
the Northwest and Southwest regions.
“Since then, the government has not stopped
constantly assessing the situation on the ground. The current situation is that
the North-West and South-West Regions have been living in remarkable calm for
several weeks,” part of the press statement read.
The
Cameroonian people, Bakary said, is attached to the unity of the country and
living together, thus have once again shown its great maturity. “The important
steps taken by the Government to respond favorably to the legitimate concerns
of English-speaking lawyers and teachers, as well as the creation of the
National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism, of
the national territory,” Bakary said.
Reversal imperative:
Therefore,
he said, it appeared that the conditions underlying the provisional suspension
of the Internet in this part of the national territory have changed
considerably. So, the Head of State, Mr. Paul Biya, instructed the Minister in
charge of Posts and Telecommunications to ask mobile operators to re-establish
Internet connections in the Northwest and Southwest regions.
Also,
the government urged the populations of these regions to be vigilant in order
to continue to block the way for the extremists, secessionists and enemies of
the Republic, emphasizing that the government of the Republic reserves the
right to take, as necessary, appropriate measures to prevent the Internet from
being used again to incite hatred and discord between Cameroonians or to create
public disorder.
International Law:
DigitalREALMS
gathered that a growing
body of jurisprudence declared shutdowns to violate international law, hence,
the UNHRC spoke out strongly against it. The resolution 32 of 2013, “condemns
unequivocally measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or
dissemination of information online in violation of international human rights
law and calls on all States to refrain from and cease such measures.”
The Council, DigitalREALMS
also gathered, intended
this clear declaration will combat the blocking and throttling of networks,
applications, and services that facilitate the freedoms of expression, opinion,
and access to information online. In addition, the African Commission on Human
and Peoples’ Rights stated in its November 2016 Resolution on the Right to
Freedom of Information and Expression on the Internet in Africa that it was
“Concerned by the emerging practice of State Parties of interrupting or
limiting access to telecommunication services such as the Internet, social
media and messaging services, increasingly during elections.”
Sum-up:
The internet has enabled significant advances
in health, education, and creativity, and it is now essential to fully realize
human rights including participation in elections and access to information.
As CSOs continue to pray that shutdown of the
Internet does not become a new toga for African leaders, it is important to
note that a study by the Brookings Institution recently indicates that
shutdowns drained $2.4 billion from the global economy last year, 2016 alone.
While Cameroun alone reportedly lost $1.39m in investment and economic
activities during the shutdown.
Now, who is at loss? Even though the political
marginalization that paved the way for crisis in the region and subsequent
shutdown is yet to be addressed. It goes to show that above all, good
governance should be seen above nepotism, having in mind that as people we are
stronger together.
Both the Association of African Internet
Service Providers Association (AFRISPA) and African office of the Global System
for Mobile Association (GSMA) must see the burgeoning threat of Internet shut
downs as inimical to the growth of the continent and their industries
respectively by facing it head on and possibly addressing it at the African
Union (AU) level, once and for all.
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