Internet refugee camp
As the shutdowns continued, many Cameroonians were forced to travel back and forth to regions with internet access to conduct business or access vital information.
“They came together and formed an internet refugee camp along the border with the littoral region, where others could come and get internet access from the neighbouring region,” Nwana said.
The first shutdown alone cost the country at least $38m, Nwana added. The effects of the second blockade are not as severe economically, but Nwana emphasised there is more than just monetary loss.
“Shutting down social media sites is akin to shutting down the internet. It’s how people communicate today. Cases have been recorded of people missing deadlines or scholarships and opportunities when the information is put on social media,” she said.
“Those in Anglophone Cameroon don’t get to see this, which reinforces the feeling of marginalisation and discrimination,” Nwana added.
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Micek echoed Nwana’s sentiment, saying the economic effect is big but also not the only thing that is lost because of these shutdowns.
“The Silicon Mountain region is a hub of innovation and that has suffered enormously. Besides, the economy is integrated, so getting services from the Silicon Mountain area is gonna be hard, wherever people are in the country, either in the Anglophone or Francophone regions,” Micek said.
“And this blockade prevents not just Cameroonians but all of us from accessing businesses, personal stories and other rich content from these areas in Cameroon,” Micek said.
“The whole world suffers because of these shutdowns.”
SOURCE: Al Jazeera News
