UN hails lift of censorship on Sudanese press

September 29, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) today welcomed Presidential decision to lift censorship on the Sudanese press.

Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir instructed last Sunday the security apparatus to cease a severe pre-publication censorship on the newspapers with an immediate effect.

However, he advised that editor in chiefs should “avoid what leads to exceeding the red lines and avoid mixing what is patriotic and what is destructive to the nation, sovereignty, security, values and its morality.”

This decision will advance the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) and is an important step towards creating an appropriate environment for the multi-party elections scheduled for April 2010″, said a statement released by the UNMIS on Tuesday.

“UNMIS hopes that the implementation of this decision along with other measures under consideration will enable all Sudanese to freely exercise their rights of franchise and expression.”

The new press law adopted by the general assembly last June prohibits the media from “provoking religious or ethnic or racial sedition or calling for war or violence,” while “respecting and protecting public ethics, religious values”.

Also, a pro-government press council prior to the presidential order agreed with the security service on a ‘Journalistic Honor Accord’ by which journalist agree to exercise “self-censorship” by avoiding writing on certain topics likely to be removed under normal circumstances.

(ST)