The Somali Government has announced a ban on the social media platform TikTok, the messaging app Telegram, and an online betting site 1xBet.
The government is claiming that these platforms were being used by “terrorists” for propaganda purposes.
Details
In its statement, the Ministry of Communication and Technology said it had ordered internet providers to cut off access to the three platforms by 24 August, failing which legal action would be taken, the nature of which was not specified.
According to the ministry, TikTok, Telegram, and the 1XBET site are used by “terrorists” and “groups spreading immorality” to “disseminate violent images and videos and mislead public opinion”.
The Bigger Picture
Since August 2022, the Somali army has been engaged in an offensive against the Shebab, a group affiliated to al-Qaeda, alongside local clan militias and with the support of African Union troops and American air strikes.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud has pledged to rid the country of Islamist militias and could shortly announce the second phase of the military offensive against the Shebab in the south of the country.
Source: Africa News
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