Why we must fight Digital Authoritarianism in Africa.

Authoritarian law enforcement

Charles Dickens’ most memorable opener reads:

‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness….’

Such is the time, the age, the epoch and the season for SUDAN; it is the era of the Internet of Things, it is the era of the Things of the Internet.

After Sudan’s former president Omar Bashir was yanked out of power and correspondingly imprisoned, the Sudanese seem to have found their voice – a voice that was muzzled by decades of authoritarian rule under Bashir.

Yet in the middle of all the new-found courage, the military’s temporal hold on to power has visited murder, rape and maim on the citizens who clamour for a civilian rule.

Viral photo of a woman leading protesters at a rally in Sudan. Courtesy: The Observer

The revolution in Sudan is one we must all BE. When we become, we overcome.
The world let the Rwandese down in 1994, Belgium merely had a hand in it. The Jews massacred by Hitler Nazis. The Iraqis, the Somali-shifta, South African apartheid and xenophobic times are all but few examples.

In this era of the internet of things and things of the internet, we must not allow tyrants and despots to rule anymore. The online battle lines have to be drawn. Any tweet or post that reeks despotism and authoritarianism must face uncontrolled opposition.

Sudanese protesters at a rally. Courtesy: Al Jazeera

Today, Sudan faces internet shutdown as a result of their expression of displeasure with the status quo.

Uganda, went through a similar treat back when 75 year-old Museveni sort for his somethingth presidential term. He then imposed a social media levy on WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.

In Tanzania, the government is notorious for digital clampdowns. Maxence Melo of Jamii Forums has borne the brunt of repressive control. Traditional media is not spared either, point in case destruction of Clouds Media equipment during the Magufuli administration.

Egyptians were also treated like dirt when the government in 2011 shut down the internet. Egyptians having realized the revolutionary potential of the internet from the Arab Spring, Hosni Mubarak was dethroned shortly after.

The Kenyan cybercrimes law is perhaps the most sinister of all Eastern and Central African laws. By deceptively maintaining that the law is about dealing with online offences like insult, yet we know verily that it has led to state censorship.

The point here is that the internet is an integral part of democracy.

The internet is a revolutionary tool. The cases I have cited serve to show that despots have a tendency to disrupt and stifle progressive debates hence the clampdown and internet shutdowns.

Internet freedoms are just as important as the freedoms guaranteed in chapter 4 under the Bill of Rights.

When we allow despots to disrupt social media and other things of the internet, we pose a threat to our nascent digital economy, democracy and other civil liberties.