Climate of Fear Engulfs Sudanese Journalists

By George Okore

KHARTOUM---Two months since secession of Southern Sudan, freedom of expression has come under increasing attack in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum.

The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has closed six newspapers and temporarily halted the distribution of three other papers since early July.  On July 8, a day before declaration of Southern independence, the government closed six newspapers (The Khartoum Monitor, Sudan Tribune, The Advocate, The Juba Post, The Democrat and Ajras Alhurria), in direct contravention of Article 39 of Sudanese Interim National Constitution (INC).

This trend of targeting newspapers continued throughout August and early September with the NISS preventing various newspapers from distributing copies of their papers, which caused tremendous financial loss for the papers. Human rights groups are warning that the situation in Sudan will hinder journalists from doing their work.

 “In addition to these troubling actions, the government has apparently adopted a new policy targeting specific journalists to prevent them from publishing articles”, say African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies Excutive Dircetor Osman Hummaida.

NISS officials recently informed Aljareeda that NISS would continue to prevent the paper from distributing if Aljareeda allowed journalists that had worked at Ajras Alhurria until its closure in July, to publish articles in Aljareeda. This tactic represents a new method for the government of Sudan in its quest to severely restrict the freedom of expression inside its country.

Mr Faisal Albagir- Journalists for Human Rights General Coordinator-- fears closure and suspension of newspapers and targeting of specific journalists undermines the freedom of expression in Sudan, guaranteed under Article 19 of the International Civil and Political Rights, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, instruments to which Sudan is a party, and Article 39 of the Sudanese Interim National Constitution.

These actions are particularly troubling in the context of reduced international monitoring presence in Sudan and the revised Press and Publications Bill recently tabled in the National Assembly. Information received by ACJPS and JHR indicates that the revised bill is likely to be more restrictive than its already repressive predecessor, which was adopted during the interim period.

 The groups   urge Sudanese government to respect the freedom of expression through its regulatory body, the Press and Publications Council. The government should immediately end its policies of pre-publication censorship and harassment of journalists and newspapers. Additionally the government should ensure that journalists, newspaper editors and other media professionals are given the opportunity to participate in debates around amendments to existing media legislation.