In Uganda, social networks and numerous applications for exchanging messages have been blocked, in view of the presidential elections to be held on January 14th. The decision was traced to outgoing President Yoweri Museveni, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders and head of Uganda since 1986. Museveni said he had no choice following Facebook’s decision to remove some accounts in support of his party, the National Resistance Movement. In recent days, Facebook had announced to have closed a network of accounts attributable to the Ugandan Ministry of Information, used to make propaganda on behalf of Museveni.
According to some documents obtained by Reuters, the communications authority in Uganda she asked telephone companies in the country to block access to most of the most common social networks and message apps The block, according to analyzes conducted on online traffic in Uganda, is affecting Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Skype, Snapchat, Viber and some application stores.
The blockade is seen as one of the systems used by Museveni to hinder his opponents and the democratic conduct of the electoral campaign, especially against Bobi Wine, a 38-year-old singer who represents the National Unity Platform. Wine has received a lot of attention in a country where around 80 percent of the population is under the age of 30. In addition to being arrested at the end of last year, Wine has reported several other intimidations in recent days.
–
