SHRINKING DEMOCRACY, GROWING VIOLENCE 26 civil society calls for protests against the junta by restricting access to WhatsApp, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Snapchat, and Instagram for several months.99 While the military denied responsibility and attributed the disruption to technical problems with the submarine cable that connects Guinea to the internet,100 evidence gathered by the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) indicates the blocking was implemented by means of TLS interference.101 The junta followed up with a more extensive communications shutdown in November, jamming radio station signals, suspending TV stations, and blocking social media platforms,102 only restoring access on February 22, 2024.103 authorities conducted a nationwide search for the prisoners, putting their safety at risk.107 This was one of several internet shutdowns in response to jailbreaks globally in 2023 — a concerning new application of this abusive tactic by law enforcement agencies. In Ethiopia, where conflict continues to break out, and parts of Tigray have been disconnected for years on end, authorities continue to wield internet shutdowns in response to national crises. On February 4, 2023, after a group of church leaders called for protests, the government blocked access to social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram, and maintained the block for over five months.104 Ethiopian authorities had declared the protests illegal and discouraged the public from participating, warning that they would provoke unrest.105 Among the countries on the watchlist, only Gabon imposed an internet shutdown, but as we have noted, Mozambique became a first-time offender during its local elections. Uganda continued blocking Facebook, as it had since the 2021 elections, bringing the total number of election-related shutdowns recorded in Africa to three. Finally, in Mauritania, authorities blocked mobile internet access on March 6, 2023, immediately after four prisoners, described as “terrorists” by the Interior Ministry, escaped from a jail in Nouakchott.106 People could not connect to mobile networks while Shutdowns during elections After a relatively quiet electoral year for the region in 2022, Access Now placed 11 African countries that had previously imposed internet shutdowns on the 2023 #KeepItOn Election Watch — Benin, the DRC, Eswatini, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe.108 The Ali Bongo government in Gabon, which had imposed shutdowns during previous elections, blocked internet access and imposed a nighttime curfew after polls closed on August 26, amid reports of voter suppression and electoral misconduct at various polling centers.109 The lack of international election observers and the suspension of foreign broadcasts prior to the elections had already cast 99 Access Now (2023). Stop shutting down the internet in Guinea: authorities must #KeepItOn amidst protest. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/stop-shutting-down-the-internet-guinea/ 100 Guinéenews (2023). Perturbation de la connexion internet en Guinée: quand Ousmane Gaoual fait le faux-fuyant. https://guineenews.org/perturbation-de-la-connexion-internet-en-guinee-quand-ousmane-gaoual-fait-le-faux-fuyant/ 101 Open Observatory of Network Interference (@OpenObservatory). X post. 10:18 am. May 22, 2023. https://x.com/ OpenObservatory/status/1660591036316499968; see also Access Now (2022). A taxonomy of internet shutdowns: the technologies behind network interference. https://www.accessnow.org/shutdown-taxonomy-report 102 Media Foundation for West Africa (2023). Radio airwaves jammed, social media blocked in Guinea. https://www.mfwa.org/issues-in-focus/radio-airwaves-jammed-social-media-blocked-in-guinea/ 103 Open Observatory of Network Interference (@OpenObservatory). X post. 3:23 pm. February 23, 2024. https://x.com/OpenObservatory/status/1761049064752177282/ 104 Access Now (2023). Ethiopia authorities must stop blocking social media. https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/ethiopia-social-media-protest/ 105 Addis Standard (2023). News: Joint Security, Intelligence Task Force cautions against unauthorized rallies, threatens to take actions as Orthodox Church Schism takes toll. https://addisstandard.com/news-joint-security-intelligence-task-force-cautionsagainst-unauthorized-rallies-threatens-to-take-action-calls-as-orthodox-church-schism-takes-toll/ 106 Cloudflare Radar (@CloudflareRadar). X post. 8:19 am. March 6, 2023. https://x.com/CloudflareRadar/status/1632747652608581633/ 107 Reuters (2023). Two guards killed in gunfire as four break out of jail. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/two-guards-killed-gunfire-four-break-out-mauritania-jail-2023-03-06/ 108 Supra note 13. Access Now (2023). 109 Reuters (2023). Gabon cuts internet, imposes curfew amid election voting delays. https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/ gabon-vote-president-bongo-seeks-extend-56-year-family-dynasty-2023-08-26/