The government has declared a ban on the video-sharing application and the popular encrypted messaging service by Thursday to curb “terrorist” propaganda. An online betting site is also targeted.
This decision comes ahead of the second phase of the military offensive against radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab, who have been conducting a bloody insurgency against the central government of Mogadishu for over 15 years. In its statement, the Ministry of Communication and Technology indicated that it has ordered internet providers to cut off access to the three platforms by August 24th, under the threat of legal action of unspecified nature.
According to the ministry, TikTok, Telegram, and the 1XBET website are used by “terrorists” and “groups spreading immorality” to “disseminate violent images and videos and deceive public opinion.” The ban is intended, according to the ministry, to “accelerate the war (…) against the terrorists who have shed the blood of the Somali people.”
To curb their propaganda, internet providers will play a role. The Ministry of Communications has given them until next Thursday to cut off access to the three platforms, or face legal action. This decision comes on the eve of a critical second phase of the military offensive against Al-Shabaab, the Islamist group that has challenged the central government of Mogadishu for over fifteen years. Last Thursday, the Somali president declared his intention to eliminate Islamists from the country in the next five months.
