Cyberattack Targets Government Websites in Senegal

Several government websites in Senegal were brought down by a cyberattack claimed by the hacking group Anonymous, according to officials on Saturday. The @MysteriousTeamO account, believed to be associated with Anonymous, announced on social media that it had targeted the websites of the presidency, as well as those using the government’s domain, including the defense and health ministries. The national airline Air Senegal’s website was also reportedly affected. While most of the impacted sites were restored by mid-afternoon, some experienced intermittent access.

Internet monitoring organization NetBlocks confirmed the attack, stating that it had affected numerous government websites, networks, and online services since Friday midnight. The attack, identified as a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, aims to overwhelm the target with a flood of internet traffic, disrupting normal functioning. NetBlocks noted that intermittent restoration efforts had been made but the attack was still ongoing.

The @MysteriousTeamO account stated that the cyberattack was carried out in “solidarity” with the Senegalese people’s right to freely choose their president. Senegal is currently experiencing a tense political climate, with the opposition accusing President Macky Sall’s government of increasing repression. Uncertainty surrounding Sall’s potential candidacy for a controversial third term and the ongoing rape trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko have heightened tensions in the otherwise stable nation.

Sonko, who has refused to appear in court, alleging a plot to prevent him from participating in the presidential race, embarked on a risky return to the capital, Dakar, with a “caravan of freedom.” Reports of clashes between Sonko’s supporters and security forces arose during his arrival in Kolda, a city in the south of the country. Sonko’s party reported the death of a 37-year-old man during the clashes, holding the authorities responsible, although AFP was unable to independently verify the circumstances of the man’s death.