Damage to undersea fibreoptic highlights Africa vulnerability

Undersea telecommunication cables play a critical role in the global economy. [iStockphoto]

Several countries in West Africa have been grappling with large-scale internet outages since last Thursday, following damage to several undersea fibreoptic cables.

Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana are among the worst-affected, although internet users as far away as South Africa have also been hit.