Internet shutdown continues in DR Congo

DR Congo continues its shutdown of the Internet and SMS as anti-government protests continue. Services were cut as a preventive measure by the telecommunications ministry, as President Joseph Kabila did not step down in December 2017 as constitutionally required when his mandate expired. The original order requires that ‘In cases where partial blocking is not possible, you are required to block access to the relevant social networks entirely.’ UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on DR Congo security forces to ‘uphold the rights of the Congolese people to the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly’ when addressing the country’s situation on 31 December.