Ahead of elections, Mauritius’s attempt to ban social media reflects dwindling rights
Democratic liberties have been eroding since the past decade but the trend has accelerated since 2019.
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Mauritius’ communications regulator recently shut down access to social media platforms until a day after the general election, due to be held on November 10. The decision was reversed a day later. Nevertheless, the move came as a surprise to many – Mauritius is often touted as a beacon of democracy in Africa.
Roukaya Kasenally, a scholar of democracy and media with a focus on Mauritius, spoke to The Conversation Africa about the shutdown, why it happened and what this tells us about the state of freedom in the island nation.
Why did the government shut down social media?
The social media ban was no doubt directly linked to leaked audio clips. These brought to light alleged conversations between a number of key individuals including the prime minister, the commissioner of police, ministers and members of the judiciary. Some of these conversations touched on sensitive issues, like police brutality and institutional interference.
The main justification for the social media ban was therefore national security – as conversations of the prime minister had been intercepted on his private and secure line and were being shared on social media.
The prime minister initially dismissed the leaks as doctored by artificial intelligence. But coverage of the leaks began to gain traction, and that’s when the social media ban was imposed. It was lifted within 24 hours...
