Uganda threatens to block social media over protests

Tue Apr 19, 2011 1:48pm GMT

[-] Text [+]

* Security agencies say Facebook and Twitter pose threats

* Govt says used appropriate force to quell unrest

* Opposition leader injured in protests

By Elias Biryabarema and Maya Prabhu

KAMPALA, April 19 (Reuters) - Uganda will order social media sites Twitter and Facebook blocked locally if further protests over high food and fuel prices take place because they are being used to fan unrest, a senior official said on Tuesday.

On Monday, soldiers and police fired teargas to disperse thousands demonstrating for a third time against rising prices and over the arrest of opposition leader Kizza Besigye and others who were charged with inciting violence in the protests. [ID:nLDE73H06C]

The opposition says the demonstrations, dubbed "walk to work", are to force the government to do something to curb soaring consumer prices.

"If someone is telling people to go and cause mass violence and kill people and uses these media to spread such messages, I can assure you we'll not hesitate to intervene and shut down these platforms," Godfrey Mutabazi, executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), told Reuters. Continued...

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