[huridocs-tech] Internet service remains sparse in Somalia

DIGITAL FREEDOM NETWORK: Human rights and cyber-rights news

Internet service remains sparse in Somalia
by John DeSio, Digital Freedom Network

(January 30, 2002) While the bulk of Somalia is still suffering from a lack
of Internet access, a small number of people are still able to use the
Internet in certain areas of the country.

Currently, there are other companies, such as Telcom Somalia, providing
Internet service in Hargeisa and Somaliland, two parts of Somalia that have
broken away from Somalia, but are not officially recognized by the rest of
the world.

Following the United States crackdown on terrorism, Somalia's main Internet
service provider, SICO, was shut down, pending an investigation into
terrorist activities by the company.

Telcom Somalia does provide some Internet service to roughly 50 citizens
living in Mogadishu, but at a very expensive rate.

Internet is casualty of war on terrorism

As part of the war on terrorism, the United States last year targeted two
companies influential in the development of the Internet in Somalia. These
two firms, Somalia Internet Company and al-Barakaat, were suspected by the
U.S. of having connections to the Al Qaeda terrorist network and were shut
down in November. Somalia Internet Company is the nation's only Internet
provider, and its closure effectively shut almost all Somalian citizens out
of any Internet connection. In addition, al-Barakaat, which is essentially
an informal, unregulated financial network, had been a main source of money
transfers to the nation's people from out of country relatives, of which
more than 80 percent relied upon to live.

Both companies have denied any link to bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network
and have asked that the closures, which also severely affect the nation's
international telephone capabilities, end immediately. Sixty-two
organizations and people in various countries, including Somalia Internet
Company and al-Barakaat, have been accused of funneling money to bin Laden
and his terrorist network, resulting in their forced closure.


Copyright (c) 2002 Digital Freedom Network (http://dfn.org). All rights
reserved. This article may be reproduced or redistributed for online
not-for-profit use without prior written consent as long as DFN is
recognized with this credit. For information about DFN's permissions
policy, see <http://dfn.org/about/permissions.htm>.



========== HURIDOCS-Tech listserv ==========
Send mail intended for the list to <huridocs-tech@hrea.org>.
Archives of the list can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/huridocs-tech/
To subscribe to the list, send a message to <majordomo@hrea.org>,
with the following text in the message: subscribe huridocs-tech
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to <majordomo@hrea.org>,
with the following text in the message: unsubscribe huridocs-tech
If you have problems (un)subscribing, contact <owner-huridocs-tech@hrea.org>.