EDITORIAL
Everybody knows there is a cut but no one knows exactly what cut it!
There is a widespread disruption to reliable telecommunications currently across many parts of Africa sparking challenges such as internet network outage and telephone outage which invariably have implications on banking, ecommerce, transport, health, electricity, media to mention but a few. Many users are not able to get access or adequately use common social media such as Facebook, Twitter (or X), WhatsApp, etc.
The internet outages are reportedly due to multiple failures of undersea cables off the coast of West Africa. It is affecting countries such as Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa and Togo. In fact, Liberia and Guinea Bissau are said to be largely out.
The world (Africa inclusive) has become so dependent on telecommunications that almost nothing happens without it. This blackout should raise deep concerns about security in Africa especially because Africa is more consuming than producing in this field. Should Africans just relax hoping that this would be sorted by ‘God-knows-who’? Is this matter not more than just a regular disruption? Is Africa safe from external aggression?