Say :"Big NO" TO PRESS BANNING

Sudanese authorities bar two newspapers for one day
Sunday 9 November 2008 02:30. Printer-Friendly version Comments...

November 8, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese authorities banned Saturday the publication of two daily newspapers after a three day strike to protest against press censorship and journalists arrest.


A Sudanese journalist covers her mouth with a piece of paper bearing the word ’NO’ during a hunger strike held by journalists in Khartoum on November 4. (AFP) The National Security Service barred Ajras Al-Huriya and Ray Al-Shab newspapers from publishing on Saturday because they didn’t inform the security apparatus of the move.

"They told us ’you didn’t inform us about your strike and... we’re taking the measure of stopping you for one day’," said Murtada Al-Ghali, the editor in chief of Ajras Al-Hurriya.to sanction sanctioned two daily newspapers that were in a three day strike to

Al-Ghali further said that the ban had initially decided for three days but the sanction was reduced for one day.

On Tuesday November 4, Sudanese journalists began a 24-hour hunger strike and the Ajras Al-Hurriya, Al-Maidan and Rayal Al-Shab newspapers halted production for three days, saying they could no longer accept government restrictions over editorial content.

Ajras al-Huriya whose name means Freedom Bells in English, had failed to appear more than 20 times since its April 7 launch owing to censors. The daily is closely linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), the main partner of the National Congress Party and the ruling party in southern Sudan.

Al-Maidan and Ray Al-Shab newspapers are respectively belonging to the opposition Sudanese communist party and the Popular Congress Party.

The three days plus two English Language dailys, the Khartoum Monitor and the Citizen, would stage a protest next Tuesday in front of the Constitutional Court requesting the revision of the press bill in order to make it conform to the constitution.

Sudanese constitution, created after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, enshrines press freedom but, the current press and security law are not yet upgraded to cope with the new constitution of July 2005.

During a press conference to announce their protest over 150 journalists said that media restrictions were "in contravention of the constitution and the spirit" of peace accords