Somalia internet connection restored after 23 days total blackout

After over three weeks outage, Somalia has its internet connection restored, journalists in the Horn of Africa nation are reporting.

Reports, however, indicate that it is not a full restoration given that places in South and Central Somalia all have connection. Other areas of the country battling Al-Shabaab, are yet to report of having their internet back.

The 23-day outage was caused by an undersea fibre optic cable cut. Authorities said a vessel, the MSC Alice, which had brought goods to a port in the capital Mogadishu, was responsible for the situation.

Somalia hit by internet outage after fibre optic cables are cut by ship… https://t.co/JaLcqKmlvL

— Onyx Engineering (@OnyxNetwork1) July 4, 2017

Somalia’s Attorney General told the BBC last week that the vessel was being held in Somali waters and that the country was also demanding compensation from the losses that they have incurred since the incident.

“Whoever was involved in this incident will be tried and the company that belongs to the ship that was involved in cutting the undersea cable is required to pay for the loss,” Ahmed Ali Dahir is quoted to have said.

According to him, the outage cost the country $10m each day, he however did not state how much compensation Somalia will be pushing for.

Among the worse affected groups were the media, businesses and government offices. People who did not have access to social media are now tweeting their joy at the return of internet access.

Finally Internet Service is back in Mogadishu #Somalia

— Liban Abdi Ali (@LibanAbdiAli) July 17, 2017

Internet connections have been restored today in south and central Somalia after 23 days of network disruption. pic.twitter.com/swnZcQa0FF

— Truths about Somalia (@mahat335) July 17, 2017

BREAKING: Internet service restored in #Mogadishu after 23-days outage: residents pic.twitter.com/Leu7Wtz0t4

— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) July 17, 2017

Internet somalia repair successful
To back the people using the social media

— zahiil 24 (@alim_mahamoud) July 17, 2017

Internet service is back finally in #Mogadishu. #Somalia

— Adan Salad (@Suheyfa) July 17, 2017

#Somalia's Telecommunications minister Abdi Anshuur said the Fiber Optic internet will be back Monday noon, local time. pic.twitter.com/kbtFfvI8CZ

— Garowe Online (@radiogarowe) July 17, 2017