PORT LOUIS, Mauritius: Just days before a general election, Mauritius ordered a social media blackout lasting until November 11 due to a wiretapping scandal.
Telecom operator EMTEL announced that the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) directed all operators to block platforms over concerns of “illegal postings” that could impact national security.
The blackout follows leaked recordings involving phone conversations between politicians, journalists, and diplomats, intensifying pre-election tensions. Opposition leaders condemned the move, calling it an attack on free expression.
Paul Berenger, from the Alliance for Change coalition, labeled the measure as panic-driven, vowing legal and political action. Nando Bodha of Linion Reform similarly criticized the decision, calling it “a desperate act” that compromises constitutional rights and urged the Election Commission to intervene for fair elections.
Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, leading the Militant Socialist Movement, seeks re-election amidst these controversies, having inherited his position in 2017 after his father’s passing and winning the 2019 polls.
