Mauritanian President El Ghazouani’s first term in office has been marred by the repeated deployment of internet shutdowns, including a disruption to mobile networks lasting more than three weeks following the election June 29, 2024. As the president prepares to swear in for a second term, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition urge his administration to make public commitments to ensuring uninterrupted access to the internet and communication platforms for all people in Mauritania.
Mauritania’s government must not carry the practice of unjustified and harmful internet shutdowns into its new term. It is imperative that authorities make immediate amends for the latest post-election disruptions and guarantee continuous and unfettered access to the internet going forward. The right to information is a cornerstone of democracy, and a commitment to #KeepItOn is essential to uphold this fundamental right as President El Ghazouani begins his second term.Kassem Mnejja, MENA Campaigner at Access Now
Earlier this month, authorities shut down mobile internet services for 22 days, from July 2 to July 24, cutting off essential information and communication for over 250,000 people in response to protests following the presidential election. With the presidential inauguration in sight on August 1, authorities in the country must take all necessary steps to maintain uninterrupted access to internet services and online communication platforms before, during, and after the inauguration.
Despite President El Ghazouani’s commitments to improve access to information and press freedom, Mauritania has experienced repeated internet shutdowns amid protests and other moments of national importance since his initial election in 2019. In 2023 alone, authorities blocked mobile internet access across the country twice, following a prison escape in March and widespread protests ignited by the killing of a young man in May.
While Mauritania’s current government has been celebrated for taking steps to strengthen democracy, free expression, and the free flow of information, its increasing deployment of internet shutdowns is seriously undermining those hard-fought gains. Internet shutdowns are never the answer, and are always a disproportionate response that inflicts harm across the full spectrum of human rights.Carolyn Tackett, Campaigns and Rapid Response Director at Access Now
These government-imposed shutdowns violate Mauritania’s international obligations to protect freedom of expression and the right to information, and directly contradicts the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) resolution against the use of internet shutdowns before, during, and after elections, issued earlier this year during Mauritania’s ongoing African Union chairship.
As Mauritania prepares for the presidential inauguration, the #KeepItOn coalition urgently calls on the government to publicly commit to continuous, open, and secure internet access for all. Authorities must also implement legislative and regulatory reforms to enforce these commitments and provide transparency about past shutdowns.