The Ugandan government recently asked major telecoms operators in the country to block Facebook and TwitterGlobal Voices Online reports.
This is following protests over rising fuel and food prices in the East African country. Ugandan opposition politicians such as Kizza Besigye have been organizingwalk to workprotests andhunger strikesand have sparked passionate conversations about the protests and strikes on Twitter.
For instance #walktoworktrendedon the Ugandan Twittersphere last week. (You can view the ongoing conversation on Twitterhere).According to the New York Times, “Mr. Besigye was dragged onto the back of a pickup truck by several police officers on Monday, his right hand in a cast and sling after being shot by military police with a rubber bullet on Thursday, the second day of the walk to work demonstrations.”
@kasujja, a Ugandan on Twitter posted a rumoured copy of the letter from the Acting Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission mandating that the country’s major telecoms operators block access to Facebook and Twitter.
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Contents of the letter was latercorroborated by a story by the Ugandan Daily MonitorandFox Business reportsthat the letter was addressed to at least ten companies, including telecommunication companies MTN Uganda Ltd., a unit of Johannesburg-listed MTN Group Ltd.; Airtel Uganda Ltd., a unit of India’s Bharti Airtel; Warid Telecom; Orange Uganda and Uganda Telecom.
Therecent ban attempt and protests followsrising protests across the continent from Tunisia to Gabon. President Museveni of Uganda has been in power for the past 25 years. Otherlong serving African leadersare listedhere.
For more on African protests and social media onTNW Africa, readFrancis Tan’s piece on Cameroon’s March Twitter banhere.
Story byNmachi Jidenma
Nmachi Jidenma is a tech and business leader. To get in touch, follow her on Twitter or email her at nmachijidenma@gmail.com(show all)Nmachi Jidenma is a tech and business leader. To get in touch, follow her onTwitteror email her atnmachijidenma@gmail.com
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