CAR: Government Bans Use of Text Messages
By Staff Writer
Use of text messages in the Central African Republic (CAR) is now considered a security threat and therefore suspended, Ministry of Telecommunications said on Tuesday 4 in Bangui.
The ban comes after days of violent demonstrations in the capital, Bangui, and a mass text campaign calling for a general strike.
The protesters want the transitional government that came to power in January to heed calls of resignation from power.
The move is aimed at helping to restore security after more than a year of deadly ethnic and religious conflict in CAR that began last year as mainly Muslim Seleka rebels, led by Michel Djotodia, seized power in the majority Christian country.
Djotodia was forced to resign as president in January by diplomatic pressure, leading to formation of interim government.
Mobile phone users in the CAR who are trying to send text messages are getting the response in French saying “SMS not allowed".
When AFP in Bangui tried to send a text, that message appeared: "SMS not allowed".
Christians in CAR are now accusing the Burundian contingent of African Union (AU) peacekeepers for siding with the minority Muslim population by permitting attacks on them.
"The use of any SMS by all mobile phone subscribers is suspended from Monday 2 June 2014, until further notice," the ministry said in a letter to mobile phone operators in the conflict country.
It stated that the decision was made by Prime Minister (PM) Andre Nzapayeke.
Since last week there has been a resurge of violence that was triggered by a deadly attack on a church last Wednesday May 28 by Seleka rebels in the capital Bangui, as well as a call for a general strike relayed by SMS in the past few days.
PM on Sunday June 1 had made an appeal for people to return to work in Bangui following several days of protests that had paralyzed the capital.
A source in the government said the suspension of text messages would last "for several days".
According Jeune Afrique, a French news website, a letter was sent to CAR's four phone mobile operators ordering them to suspend their SMS texting service until further notice.
Orange, Moov, Telecel and Azur are the main mobile phone providers in CAR, Reuters reports.
French and African peacekeepers have failed to stop the escalating violence between Christian and Muslim militia groups.
African Union, France and the European Union have about 7,000 troops in the country where about 25% of the population has fled their homes.
The deeply impoverished country with majority of its citizens being Christians (50%) has been struggling to restore peace in the face of relentless tit-for-tat attacks between Christian vigilante groups and Muslim (15%) ex-Seleka rebels.