Eritrea Shuts Down Social Media

Social media services were this week shutdown in Eritrea.  

With communication in the country under government control the shut down could be an attempt to prevent activists from organizing protests ahead of Independent Day on May 24.

Eritrea has recently made progress in improving relations with neighbouring Ethiopia, having signed a historic peace deal in July 2018 that paved the way for opening the border. The country has also benefitted from the lifting of UN sanctions including an arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban in November 2018. However, considerable opposition to the Government in what is one of the poorest countries on the African continent continues, with more than one in five Eritreans living abroad.