Senegal’s internet service was restored on Wednesday after two days of curfew-style restrictions by the government following unrest over the postponement of this month’s presidential election. The global community responds to what some Senegalese people are calling a “constitutional coup.”

 The internet blackout severely affected Senegalese citizens’ access to street protests. With internet access cut off, people faced challenges using social media platforms to share updates and organize protests. Journalists were unable to report independently, hindering transparency and accountability. The decision to shut down the internet raised concerns about further anti-democratic actions. The leading television news service, Walf, had its license revoked after filming the widespread protests this weekend. Supporters of the station held an impromptu sit-in at the headquarters. 

Naro Omo-Osagie of the African Policy and Advocacy at Access Now said, Millions of people in Senegal have been deliberately disconnected from the rest of the world. In times of heightened political tension, access to the internet is critical and must be upheld at all times to keep people safe and connected with their families and communities.

In response, the citizens of Senegal signed up for virtual private networks or VPN services at a rate of 350 percent. A VPN is a tool that encrypts a person’s internet traffic to ensure a secure and private connection to the internet. Business Insider Africa emphasized how the internet shutdown also has economic repercussions. A prior 2023 shutdown in Senegal cost an estimated loss of $42.3 million and affected 8 million people. 

Since independence from France in 1960, Senegal has been known as a stable democracy. Now, Eye on Africa France24 reports violent civil unrest has broken out in the streets of Dakar, Senegal and throughout the countryside. Three Senegalese opposition lawmakers were arrested amid the fallout from Parliament’s move to delay a presidential vote by 10 months. This action prompted West Africa’s economic and political bloc, ECOWAS, to call for re-establishing the electoral calendar. The international community has also expressed concern over the possible increased instability in the region. 

The Council of Ministries of Senegal stated Wednesday that Prime Minister Mr. Amadou BA. was in full support of President Macky Sall’s decision to delay the election and that the council was taking all the necessary measures for the best conditions of the presidential election on the new date fixed.