Suspension of mobile internet in Senegal: RESTIC calls on operators to defend users

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The Rally of Information and Communication Technology Companies ( Restic ) regrets this increasingly marked propensity on the part of the authorities to suspend or even restrict mobile internet, regardless of the national political context.

According to the network, the internet, especially mobile, is a work tool. Data transmission via mobile is essential for all types of transactions in economic activity. There are more transaction flows these days without the internet. "Mobile internet accounts for 95% of economic transactions georgia mobile database in our economies, which are marked by micro-activity in the informal sector. It therefore contributes 17 billion FCFA to the country's GDP every day," the press release reads.

RESTIC therefore calls on the State and operators to "consider other censorship tools in place of abrupt and systematic data suspensions in order to preserve the economic and social rights of users." RESTIC is thinking of the digital ecosystem, which is seeing its media and platforms forced to shut down.

Restic points out that "Senegal is a signatory to international conventions – notably the United Nations – on citizens' right to information and must respect them." Access to information is an integral part of freedom of expression and an important tool for promoting the rule of law and economic, professional, and commercial opportunities in highly interconnected societies.

RESTIC therefore expects the immediate restoration of mobile internet while considering the possibility of contacting the ECOWAS and UEMOA community institutions in particular. RESTIC demands that operators assume their responsibilities.