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Congo Shuts Down Internet Services 'Indefinitely' (nytimes.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the out-of-Africa dept.

On Saturday Engadget wrote: Authoritarian leaders are fond of severing communications in a bid to hold on to power, and that tradition sadly isn't going away. The Democratic Republic of Congo's government has ordered telecoms to cut internet and SMS access ahead of planned mass protests against President Joseph Kabila, whose administration has continuously delayed elections to replace him. Telecom minister Emery Okundji told Reuters that it was a response to "violence that is being prepared," but people aren't buying that argument. Officials had already banned demonstrations, and the country has history of cutting communications and blocking social network access in a bid to quash dissent.
And today in the wake of deadly protests, Congo announced that the internet shutdown will continue "indefinitely." The New York Times reports: At least eight people were killed and a dozen altar boys arrested in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday after security forces cracked down on planned church protests against President Joseph Kabila's refusal to leave office before coming elections... Congolese security forces set up checkpoints across Kinshasa, and the government issued an order to shut down text messaging and internet services indefinitely across the country for what it called "reasons of state security."

3 of 88 comments (clear)

  1. Anonymous Coward Law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    A country that includes the words "Democratic Republic" in its name is neither democratic nor a republic.

    1. Re: Anonymous Coward Law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Trump would have won the popular vote if thatâ(TM)s what mattered. He would have had a completely different campaign strategy. Love him or hate him, he dominated the world of business because he knows how to play by the rules to win, even if that means exploiting bankruptcy protection. Same goes with winning the vote. He knew the rules and played by them to win the only thing that counts - the electoral college.

  2. Re:contingency question by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Insightful

    https://slashdot.org/story/03/...

    And remember the rules of country names: If it contains "Democratic" then it isn't, and if it says "People's" there's an implied "A Few Dozen" before it.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."