Weekly Roundup 2/14

Hello, Readers. NDItech is here with another Weekly Roundup, bringing you all the best in technology, democracy, and world news.

UN expert David Kaye has called upon the Cameroonian government to restore internet access to two predominantly English-speaking areas of the country, calling the shutoff “an appalling violation to their right of freedom of expression.” Internet services went down in the northwest and southwest regions on January 17th, amidst a series of protests against government policies that opponents say unfairly marginalize English speakers in the country. The francophone-centered government conducts all proceedings in French, and has been accused of imposing French legal and educational systems upon citizens.

"A network shutdown of this scale violates international law - it not only suppresses public debate, but also deprives Cameroonians of access to essential services and basic resources," Kaye remarked. Among those affected are the city of Buea, dubbed the “Silicon Mountain” of the country, and 17 year old Google coding champion Nji Collins Gbah. The government has yet to comment on the shutdown, despite international pressure to lift the ban.

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