"The internet to us is like oxygen and the oxygen has been taken from us."

Since January 17, the government of French-speaking Cameroon has imposed an internet blackout on the English-speaking western regions of the country, as punishment for civil rights protests. Banks are closed, business activities have ground to a halt, and hundreds of Cameroonians have become internet refugees, forced to relocate to cities with online access.

As the UN has clearly stated in its Declaration of Human Rights, internet access is a basic human right, related to free speech and communication. Yet telecom providers like MTN, Orange and Vodafone continue to collaborate with the government in denying access to English-speaking Cameroonians.

Tell telecom providers:  Internet access is a basic human right. Boycott Cameroon until the government restores internet access to ALL Cameroonians.

A few days ago, six international telecom companies (including Orange and Vodafone), joined the Global Network Initiative. The stated purpose of the Initiative is to create global industry standards that will "protect freedom of expression and privacy" online. 

Yet, besides a brief statement of concern, the group of telcos has remained largely silent about the ongoing internet shutdown. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs continue to suffer heavy losses; money transactions are frozen so people cannot receive remittances from abroad; and the exodus of people desperate for access continues.

Worse, this situation establishes a precedent for authoritarian governments on the continent and elsewhere looking for ways to crack down on civil rights movements.

In the past, thousands of SumOfUs members have joined forces to fight for free speech and internet freedom. In 2015 we challenged telecom companies and the U.S. government on Net Neutrality, and helped keep the Net open and free. Now it's time to deploy people power again. Let the telcos know that it's not enough to talk the talk on internet freedom -  it's time to walk the walk. The time for business as usual is over.

Tell telecom companies: Internet access is a basic human right. Boycott Cameroon until the government restores internet access to ALL Cameroonians.

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