Home Human Rights Post-Election: VPN Usage Soars High in Mozambique As Internet Crackdown Persists
Human RightsPolitics

Post-Election: VPN Usage Soars High in Mozambique As Internet Crackdown Persists

511
Post-Election: VPN Usage Soars High in Mozambique As Internet Crackdown Persists

Mozambicans increasingly deploy Virtual Private Network (VPN) services to bypass online restrictions following protests over the election results.

The Mozambique authorities, under the outgoing President Filipe Nyusi of the ruling democratic socialist party FRELIMO, first disrupted mobile internet on October 25, 2024, as confirmed by Surfshark, a platform that tracks internet shutdown.

Subsequently, on October 31, VPN usage surged in the southeast African country, as all Meta apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, stopped working with regular internet access.

Also, on November 4, NetBlocks, an internet watchdog, reported that Telegram, TikTok, and YouTube were inaccessible to Mozambicans, hence the surge in VPN usage as a last resort.

Internet restrictions in Mozambique reflect a growing trend of governments limiting access during political unrest, impacting safety and essential information flow. These shutdowns disrupt daily life, from business to education, and pose a significant threat to open internet and free speech in the region, says Justas Pukys, VPN Product Manager at Surfshark.

 With the situation changing quickly, it’s important for people to keep up with news from local and international sources. They should also take steps to protect their privacy by using secure communication tools like private messaging apps, encrypted email services, and VPNs, he added.

ProtonVPN, a company rendering VPN services, confirmed a 127,830% spike during the daytime. Following the surge in the use of VPNs and the outbreak of protests in the country was the October 9 election marred with alleged vote-rigging, prompting protests which police violently repressed during and after the vote-counting process by opposition members and independent observers.

Daniel Chaplo of the FRELIMO party was declared President-elect on October 24 despite the death of over 20 people killed by the Police.

Read Also: Mozambique’s Ex-Finance Minister Convicted in $2 Billion Fraud Scandal

Ghana’s Cocoa Production Expected to Increase in 2024/25 Season

Yet, a report by the AssociatedPress indicated that Mozambique defence minister Cristóvão Chume has threatened military to deploy soldiers to quell the post-election protests that have engulfed the country after the opposition rejected the results of the country’s polls, which saw the governing Frelimo party extend its 49-year rule.

The opposition candidate, Venâncio Mondlane, and his PODEMOS party claimed Mondlane had won 53% of the vote using data from their poll observers, challenging the announced 20.32%.

Nonetheless, voters have scheduled to march tomorrow, November 7, in Maputo to demand justice over the murder of two senior opposition figures, Elvinos Dias and Paulo Guambe, who were killed in Maputo on October 19, 2024.

Similarly, on October 21, police reportedly, in a violent operation, dispersed a press conference and protests led by Mondlane close to where the killing took place.

About The Author

Written by
Mayowa Durosinmi

M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles

Ethiopia Inaugurates Africa’s Largest Hydroelectric Dam
NewsPolitics

Ethiopia Inaugurates Africa’s Largest Hydroelectric Dam

Ethiopia, a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of...

Bola Tinubu’s Lawyer Intervened in FOIA Lawsuit, Asked U.S. Court to Block Release of Unredacted FBI, DEA-Held Drug Files
NewsPolitics

Bola Tinubu Intervenes in FOIA Lawsuit, Asks U.S. Court to Block FBI, DEA Release Of His Unredacted Records

Nigerian president Bola Tinubu has intervened via his lawyer, Oluwole O. Afolabi,...

NewsPolitics

Côte d’Ivoire: Ouattara Cleared For Fourth Term Bid As Top Opposition Rivals Blocked From 2025 Race

Côte d’Ivoire’s Constitutional Council has published the final list of candidates cleared...

NewsPolitics

Senegal’s President Faye Reshuffles Cabinet to Accelerate Reforms

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has reshuffled his cabinet, appointing Ousmane Sonko as...