23 Sep 2017 | 12:13 PM UTC
Côte d'Ivoire: New anti-terror regulations for mobile phone users
Côte d'Ivoire requires mobile phone users to provide proof of identity within six months as part of enhanced anti-terror security initiative
Event
Ivorian authorities announced on Thursday, September 21, that all Ivorian mobile phone subscribers have six months to update and confirm their identification to the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications of Côte d'Ivoire (ARTCI). Ivorian nationals will be required to present a national identity card, a biometric passport, or a driver's license; non-nationals will have to present a biometric passport or biometric national identity card. Users unable to provide acceptable identification within the next six months will have their cell phone services suspended; if users are unable to comply within two months of the suspension, their cell service will be canceled.
The measures are intended to protect against terrorists' fraudulent use of mobile phones and SIM cards registered under aliases or stolen identities.
Context
Côte d'Ivoire's recent anti-terror and anti-cybercrime efforts are largely in response to a March 2016 terrorist attack - claimed by Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) - in Grand-Bassam (near Abidjan) that killed 19 people. The AQIM attack proved the difficulty in tracking and thwarting small terror operations that use relatively few gunmen.
Advice
Individuals in Côte d'Ivoire are advised to adhere to all regulations and directions issued by local authorities.
