The 5 Longest & Costliest Internet Shutdowns Recorded In Africa

When Tanzania’s internet went dark amid just-concluded elections notably marred by disputes and protests, it joined a troubling pattern that’s become all too familiar across Africa.

Governments often justify shutdowns on grounds of “national security” or “public order,” but digital rights groups say these blackouts silence dissent, cripple economies, and restrict access to vital information. The latest case, brief but symbolic, has renewed scrutiny of the continent’s long history of prolonged internet disruptions.

Tanzania’s recent blackout has reignited concerns about state-ordered internet disruptions across Africa; a tool often wielded during elections and unrest, though, in the company of recorded cases like Ethiopia’s months-long blackout to Chad’s year-long silence, it’s far from the longest shutdowns the continent has seen.

Below are the five longest documented internet blackouts in Africa, based on verified data from Access Now’s #KeepItOn campaign and reports from NetBlocks and Internet Society.

Ethiopia (Tigray) — 720+ days (2020–2022)

Ethiopia holds the grim record for Africa’s longest continuous internet shutdown. Following the outbreak of the Tigray conflict in November 2020, authorities imposed a near-total blackout in the region that lasted over two years.

The shutdown, which ended in late 2022, cut millions off from digital communication, aid coordination, and news coverage. Rights groups called it “a humanitarian crisis worsened by digital darkness.” Ethiopia’s blackout showed how the internet has become collateral damage in modern warfare.

Sudan — 65 days (June–August 2019)

After the June 3, 2019 massacre of protesters in Khartoum, Sudanese authorities ordered a nationwide internet shutdown lasting over two months. Reports suggested the blackout aimed to suppress evidence of the violence that left more than 100 dead.

Mobile data services were only restored after a court order forced telecom operators to reconnect users. NetBlocks estimates that the disruption cost Sudan millions in economic losses.

Cameroon (Anglophone regions) — 230 days (2017–2018)

Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions endured a 230-day shutdown, one of the longest ever recorded globally. What began as protests against marginalisation in 2017 escalated into a digital blackout that paralysed education, banking, and journalism. The internet was either completely off or significantly throttled for roughly 230 days, with the longest continuous stretch about 93 days.

The government restored access only in March 2018 amid mounting global condemnation, including from the UN. Internet Society reported that small businesses lost millions and students missed entire school terms.

Chad — 16 months (March 2018–July 2019)

Chad’s government imposed a near-total restriction on social media platforms — including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter — for 480 days, following protests against constitutional changes extending President Idriss Déby’s rule.

While not a full internet cutoff, the social media ban effectively silenced public discourse. Access was restored in July 2019, just weeks after international pressure mounted.

Annobón, Equatorial Guinea — ~1 year (island-wide)

In July 2024 the government cut mobile and fixed internet services on Annobón island after protests over dynamite blasting; the blackout has persisted into 2025, leaving around 5,000 residents isolated from banking, health information and schooling. Human-rights groups and on-the-ground reporting document an ongoing, near-year-long disruption.

BONUS: Algeria — 10 days annually (recurring exam shutdowns)

In an unusual but consistent pattern, Algeria has imposed nationwide shutdowns every exam season since 2016 — each lasting around ten days — to prevent cheating during the Baccalaureate exams. Though temporary, the recurring disruption has drawn criticism from digital rights advocates for normalising censorship.