A group of civil society organisations (CSOs) have appealed to the government not to shut down internet access under any condition during this year’s election period.
This comes in the wake of some 24 countries that have imposed Internet shutdowns in the past during their election years, which hindered the full enjoyment of a wide range of fundamental rights and freedoms.
The Manager of the KeepItOn campaign, Felicia Anthonio, said this was an unprecedented year for democracy as national elections were expected to take place in at least 64 countries.
With billions of people at risk of shutdowns during election periods, she said the stakes for democracy and human rights this year were higher than ever. She, therefore, urged the government not to disrupt access to the Internet as it violated fundamental human rights.
The workshop
Mrs Antonio appealed a workshop, which was organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and Access Now, a civil society group, that defends and extends the digital rights of people and communities at risk.
The workshop was part of the KeepItOn campaign, which was launched by Access Now in 2016 to help unite and organise the efforts of activists and organisations across the world to end internet shutdowns.
The one-day workshop which took place in Accra last Monday, is part of activities to promote internet freedom in the country during this year’s election period to ensure fairness, credibility and transparency.
It brought together participants from various civil society organisations in human rights and the media to examine the increasing rate of network shutdowns in Africa and their implications on economic development and human rights.
