Region: Niger

Last year, 12 countries cut internet access at least 19 times in Africa. Read “The return of digital authoritarianism: internet shutdowns in 2021”

In 2021, at least a dozen countries with a history of internet shutdowns are headed to the polls for important elections, and people fighting for their democracies need the world’s solidarity and support.

In 2021, at least a dozen countries with a history of internet shutdowns are headed to the polls for important elections, and people fighting for their democracies need the world’s solidarity and support.

Election shutdowns erode democracy. They violate basic fundamental rights like freedom of expression, undermine election fairness, and weaken people’s trust in the electoral process. Our new election shutdowns handbook helps election observers, journalists, diplomatic missions, and human rights activists navigate these turbulent scenarios.

On February 24, three days after the people of Niger headed to the polls to vote for their next president, authorities shut down the internet.