Sudan closes four newspapers

Madiha Abdallah Chief Editor of Almidan Sudanese newspaper. Courtesy Photo 

By M Amin

The government of Sudan has closed four newspapers, two weeks after a presidential decision to lift media censorship was issued.

The closed newspapers are Almidan owned by the Communist Party and Almijhar, an independent newspaper. Others are the Alintibaha, a pro- government newspaper and the Al-Mashad.

Mr Khalid Ahmed, a journalist attached to Al-Sudan, a privately-owned daily newspaper was arrested on Tuesday following a complaint against him by Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). The journalist is wanted over a report attributed to him detailing events during a visit by top military officials to Abu Karshola in South Kordofan. The area was recently recaptured by government forces from rebels.

The newspapers were closed over news reports and articles about the fighting between SAF and the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) last month.

Ms Madiha Abdallah the chief editor of (the Almidan) newspaper said the National Intelligence Security Services has ordered the media houses not to operate.

The country’s first vice president on May 21 issued a decree to lift the censorship of the press in Sudan.

Reporters Without Borders, an international organisation that promotes media freedom in its 2013 Press Freedom Index black listed Sudan as one of the countries which do not respect the freedom of press.