Authorities Suspend TikTok App Amidst Protests and Unrest
Senegalese authorities took the drastic step of suspending the TikTok application on Wednesday until "further notice" as the country witnessed the dissemination of "hateful and subversive" messages following protests sparked by the imprisonment of prominent opposition figure Ousmane Sonko.
The move came in the wake of the government cutting off internet access on cell phones on Monday for similar reasons.
Moussa Bocar Thiam, the Minister of Communication and the Digital Economy expressed concern over the role of TikTok as a favored social network for ill-intentioned individuals to spread messages that threatened the stability of the nation.
The detention of Ousmane Sonko on Monday, on charges including inciting insurrection, led to widespread demonstrations across the country.
The unrest resulted in three deaths in the south of Senegal and the suburbs of Dakar.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, two individuals were killed in Dakar when an incendiary device was used to attack the bus they were traveling in.
No direct link between the bus attack and the protests against Mr. Sonko's imprisonment has been established yet.
Amidst the ongoing turmoil, Amnesty International criticized the government's restriction of internet access, deeming it an "attack on freedom of information."
The human rights organization called on the authorities to restore internet access in the country.
Ousmane Sonko, a declared candidate in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections, faces the possibility of 5 to 20 years in prison based on legal experts' opinions, with this being the third legal procedure against him.
He was previously sentenced to two years in prison on June 1 in another case, which triggered significant unrest resulting in the death of sixteen people according to the authorities, while the opposition claims the death toll was around thirty.
As the situation remains tense, the authorities are grappling with the delicate balance between ensuring stability and safeguarding civil liberties, sparking debates both nationally and internationally over the future of digital communication and freedom of expression in Senegal.