Zimbabwe: total internet shutdown amid fuel price protests

Zimbabwe on Friday faced a "total internet shutdown," a media group said, after a days-long violent crackdown on people protesting a dramatic fuel price increase. Badly injured people streamed into a hospital in the capital after alleged assaults by security forces.

"Our country is going through one of the most trying periods in its history," the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference said in a sweeping statement lamenting the government's "intolerant handling of dissent" and its failure to halt the economic collapse.

Zimbabwe's largest mobile network operator Econet Wireless has notified millions of subscribers it received another directive to shut down internet access, a move critics say is aimed at stifling criticism of President Emerson Mnangagwa's government amid unrest sparked by a steep fuel price increase.

"At 22:05 [on] 17 January 2019, we were served with another directive for a total shutdown of the internet until further notice," the company said.

"Our lawyers advised we are required to comply with the directive pending the court's decision on its legality. The earlier directives are already the subject of a pending High Court Application. We sincerely apologize for all inconvenience caused by the acts of government which are beyond our reasonable control.”

Rights groups on Friday criticized the government of Zimbabwe for the move.

More than 600 protesters have been arrested in Zimbabwe, with state security agents unleashing what critics have called a violent crackdown on citizens who participated in protests triggered by a call from labor federation ZCTU for a three-day shutdown over the 150 percent fuel price increase. The hike has already driven transport costs sharply higher.

On Thursday the United States Embassy in Harare expressed concern over violence in parts of the country, urging all parties t

o exercise restraint.

The US mission also called on Harare to respect its constitutional and international legal obligations regarding the right to freedom of expression.

"We are concerned by the Zimbabwean government’s blocking of Internet services in the country ... and urge the restoration of access to social media sites and application," it said.