18 November 2020

Internet services have been fully restored in central and southern parts of Somalia, following a four-day shutdown that cost the country’s economy millions of dollars.

The Horn of Africa nation’s main internet services provider, Hormuud Telecom, said that the problem was fixed and apologised to all customers impacted.

This latest outage came after the submarine fibre optic cables suffered a major disruption due to the rough waves of the Indian Ocean.

The blackout also had a major impact on Somali businesses, especially the internet cafes that provide online access to many people. Hospitals, government offices and other organisations were also hit hard. Among the worst hit were money transfer businesses, which provide a lifeline for millions of Somalis who get support from family members.

Many people posted comments of celebration and relief on their social media sites, including photos, when the service was reinstated.

“The internet return is the return of my business profit, thanks to Allah,” restaurant owner Mogadishu, Liban Ahmed,  posted on Facebook.