Equatorial Guinea enforces yearlong internet outage for island that protested construction company (apnews.com)
from Stamau123@lemmy.world to world@lemmy.world on 14 Sep 20:42
https://lemmy.world/post/35924721

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — When residents of Equatorial Guinea’s Annobón island wrote to the government in Malabo in July last year complaining about the dynamite explosions by a Moroccan construction company, they didn’t expect the swift end to their internet access.

Dozens of the signatories and residents were imprisoned for nearly a year, while internet access to the small island has been cut off since then, according to several residents and rights groups.

Local residents interviewed by The Associated Press left the island in the past months, citing fear for their lives and the difficulty of life without internet.

#world

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Reverendender@sh.itjust.works on 14 Sep 21:14 next collapse

Located in the Atlantic Ocean about 315 miles (507 kilometers) from Equatorial Guinea’s coast, Annobón is one of the country’s poorest islands and one often at conflict with the central government. With a population of around 5,000 people, the island has been seeking independence from the country for years as it accuses the government of disregarding its residents.

Wow that island is beautiful. I say we get a gofundme going to help them achieve independence. And if they want to also let me immigrate there from the U.S. afterwards, I’m not going to say no.

Townlately@feddit.nl on 14 Sep 21:30 next collapse

Hear hear! I’d contribute

whiwake@lemmy.cafe on 14 Sep 21:33 next collapse

I wonder what’s up with those two little cloisters on the southern side. It appears to be foot access only

robocall@lemmy.world on 14 Sep 23:05 collapse

I think I went on a rabbit hole reading about this island online awhile back. IIRC they speak creole Portuguese, while EG speaks Spanish, and have been punished by the government for wanting independence for years. This Internet shutdown is just a drastic and recent punishment.

It does seem like a nice life there. But very different than what we in the west are accustomed to. They lack many basic necessities, there’s shortages of everything that’s imported.

It would be important to not be a burden to the community. Starlink isn’t available there, so I’m not sure of another way to work remotely from there. And unless you have a skill they would benefit from, you might be a strain on a community already stretching it’s resources. But I do see the appeal of an island like annobón.

Reverendender@sh.itjust.works on 14 Sep 23:21 collapse

Do you know why starlink isn’t available there?

rarsamx@lemmy.ca on 15 Sep 00:11 collapse

Starlink needs regulatory permission in every county they provide signal to.

shiroininja@lemmy.world on 14 Sep 22:21 collapse

And if it wasn’t run by a tool, this would be the perfect use case for starlink. Eff the government