Somalia’s National Communications Authority (NCA) will now probe a case of accounts on social media platform Facebook disappearing.
The accounts belong to individuals believed to be critical of the current administration and the act has been linked to the state.
In a statement, Somalia’s Information Minister Abdirahman Yusuf has, however, denied the claims that the government is involved in the recent disappearance of the social media accounts.
Abdirahman said that the disappearance has also affected people from within the government and the authorities are looking into it.
“This is an issue that affects both government officials and some of the people in the opposition,” he said.
The minister also confirmed that as investigations continue, the matter will be addressed in a transparent way.
Facebook accounts belonging to a number of personalities including journalists have also been disabled.
Opposition groups have linked the disappeared accounts with the move by the government to suppress critical voices, with some federal member states, including Puntland, coming out to condemn what they see as deliberate targeting of political opponents.
Somalia's Director General of the National Communications Authority (NCA), Mustafa Sheikh they are fully aware of the situation and is working towards finding a solution.
“We are fully aware of the issue. It’s becoming widespread and has impacted regional state presidents, journalists, and ministers. We are in talks with Meta on how to enhance regulations on the matter to prevent misuse,” he said.
The Director General affirmed that the NCA will use all available regulatory channels to protect the country’s national interests.
“We have informed them of the need to set up additional safeguards to prevent future misuse of Facebook’s reporting mechanisms, which could otherwise erode public trust in Facebook.”
With approximately 5 million users in Somalia, including
from the media, civic rights groups, and journalists, Facebook is among the most
popular social media channels in Somalia.
