Social media has given voice to the voiceless, and that is not something good for a dictatorial regime. In fact, it is a threat to such regimes, as it can act as a platform where people with the same view can meet up and in solidarity speak with a louder voice.
We have seen that in the Arab Springs where protesters unable to rely on mainstream media, turned to social media to group up and stage bigger protests. While calling out to more like-minded people to join in.
That is yet to be replicated in sub-Saharan Africa, where you get a couple of dictators holding on to power for over three decades; cough cough, Uganda. The West African nation of Benin on Sunday went to the polls, where citizens were supposed to elect their next cohort of leaders.
That election was marred with protests with no opposition candidate being on the ballot paper. Something that came about after the body that oversees elections in Benin approved just two political parties to field a candidate. Those two political parties are said to be allies of the incumbent President Patrice Talon.
Rights and activists groups have been claiming there is no real choice between the presidential candidates for the two parties approved to field a candidate in the elections. The political parties that did not get the green light to field candidates in this elections are said to be the ones having candidates whom a great number of Beninese think are the opposition and could possibly take power from the incumbent regime.
Y’ello Ghislain Hologan. We are really sorry for Sunday’s situation regarding the restriction on internet access. However, we reassure you that the problem is solved. MTN sincerely apologizes and thanks you for your understanding.
— MTN Benin (@MTNBenin) April 30, 2019
As expected, no crowds at polling stations. A vote without the opposition does not interest the people.
In Tchaorou in the stronghold of former President Yayi Boni, the polling station and the polls were set on fire #BeninShutDown pic.twitter.com/4LB90n92kh
— Fifa (@MyleneFlicka) April 28, 2019
Update: most of #Benin is now OFFLINE and disconnected from the world. What started as an hour of internet shutdown continued to be 7 hours of social media shutdown and now is a complete and total blackout!! #KeepItOn #BeninBlackOut #BeninShutDown https://t.co/KnDMg6Wi7O
— Berhan Taye (@btayeg) April 28, 2019
Whatsapp, Twitter, Telegram, Facebook. As I’m tweeting, all those social media networks are blocked in Benin. Even some VPNs are also blocked. This is not helping, it contributes to increase panic among the citizens. Hello World, please can you hear us ? @accessnow #BeninShutdown pic.twitter.com/G3XNLVjviL
— Fifa (@MyleneFlicka) April 28, 2019
Blocking and Taxing Social Media usage
Uganda recently introduced taxation on social media usage; President Yoweri Museveni claimed people were going online to gossip. So to discourage its use, his administration thought it best to levy a tax. The tax is still effective to date.
The government of Benin started taxing social media usage back in 2014, but along the way, they dropped it. Both governments of Uganda and Benin are not sincere in their taxation of social media. Since they all face civil unrest with those holding power seem to be least popular than those in the opposition.
The two countries have also seen multiple protests from citizens calling for a change in the country’s leadership. Therefore, all these businesses of taxing or blocking social media are just tactics of a regime whose time is nearing an end trying to forestall the process a little longer.
On Monday, the US ambassador to Benin, Patricia Mahoney, said the upcoming elections were “neither fully competitive nor inclusive and do not reflect the Benin that we know”.