Sudanese communist party to re-issue Al-Midan newspaper

Sept 27, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese Communist Party (SCP) is taking practical steps towards issuing its newspaper, Al-Maidan, after SCP Sec-Gen Mohamed Ibrahim Nugud received the go ahead from the National Press Council.

The SCP has rented an imposing building for the newspaper’s HQs in Al-Amarat behind Khartoum 2 market.

A number of meetings taking place chaired by Al-Tijani al-Tayib and attended by a number of journalists.

Al-Maidan is not revealing the names of those in its team but says a great journalistic surprise is in store involving a number of distinguished writers, including two from Al-Ray al-Amm newspaper.

All efforts have apparently failed to persuade Al-Maidan’s former chief editor, AbuBakr al-Amin, to take on the position because of a disagreement with the party’s traditionalists.
However, the SCP leadership was keen to provide Al-Maidan with excellent facilities including cars, communication equipment and advanced technologies which would allow the paper to compete in the race for the newspaper market.

Al-Midan was founded in 1954. The daily newspaper had been closed after the Islamist coup d’Etat of Gen. al-Bashir on 30 June 1989. However, the paper was published underground during the last sixteen years.

(ST)