Sudan lifts ban on northern separatist daily
October 2, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has terminated a ban on the publication of the northern separatist daily, Al-Intibaha, which was suspended nearly three months ago as the government moved to quell media outlets advocating the secession of south Sudan region in a vote slated for January 2011.
According to the official SUNA, the NISS’s decision was made at the behest of president Al-Bashir on the condition that the paper would adhere to the pledges it made before the state’s leadership to observe the code of journalistic honor and respect the constitution.
Al-Intibaha, which in Arabic translates to The Alert, was founded in mid-2007 by the former director of Sudan National TV, Al-Tayeb Mustafa, who is an uncle to President Omer Al-Bashir.
The paper is the mouthpiece of the Just Peace Forum, a political party founded by Mustafa to advocate the secession of south Sudan on the pretext that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) gave too many concessions to southerners at the expense of northerners.
The CPA is the name of the peace deal which in 2005 ended decades of civil war between the Arab, Muslim-ruled north and the African south. Under the deal, the south will vote in January 2011 on whether to retain unity with the north or secede to form its own independent state.
All prognoses indicate that southerners will vote overwhelmingly for secession.
Al-Initbaha’s editorial policy aims to highlight negative reports from the south and portray southern Sudanese in bad lights. The paper, whose motto is “the voice of the silent majority”, claims to guard the Arab and Islamic identity of north Sudan against what it sees as a threat posed by the Christian and black south.
The paper’s occasional editorial, entitled Nidaa Al-Yaguiza, A Call for Vigilance, calls for Jihad against southerners to protect the north’s Islamic identity.
Al-Intibaha has frequently attacked countries such as Libya, Egypt and Uganda, accusing them of conspiring against Sudan.
On July 06, the NISS surprised observers when it shut down Al-Intibaha and accused it of encouraging secessionist tendencies in the North and South of the country.
The head of the NISS information department said that the decision to suspend Al-Intibaha was meant to “diminish its negative role in encouraging separatist tendencies in the South and North contrary to the constitution and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which calls for supporting to the unity option.”
Al-Tayeb Mustafa has welcomed the decision and was quoted by Sudan’s official news agency, SUNA, as announcing that the paper would resume publication as of Wednesday, October 06.
He said that the paper would support a stable and prospering Sudan in which identity is protected.
Mustafa had one of his sons killed during the North-South civil war in the 90’s as a recruit in the government militias. Many of Mustafa’s critics claim that the death of his child in this war has made him a staunch supporter of South Sudan’s secession and a fierce critic of Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) which rules the South. Many commentators and observers accused Mustafa of inciting hatred and racism through his writings.
Mustafa’s daily column often contains derogatory remarks against SPLM’s leaders, specifically the SPLM’s secretary-general Pagan Amum and deputy secretary-general Yasir Arman.
Al-Intibaha is one of the most widely circulated papers in Sudan. At one point in 2009, it peaked as the second most-selling newspaper in Sudan after the pro-government Akhir Lahzah.
(ST)
Akot Deng
Sudan lifts ban on northern separatist daily
mr Mustafa should adjust his language of description against Southerners we are well informed of Arabs behaviors nothing will surprise of inciting the seperation it may be our interest without turnishing our reputation.
DASODIKO
Sudan lifts ban on northern separatist daily
The Newspaper of the Uncle is realesed to work for Darfur seperation. Now with or without push from Al-Taib Mustafa for Southerners to seperate; they have already gone.
Biliu
Sudan lifts ban on northern separatist daily
Yes, you can wail over your son who died in vain in the South, that’s your absolute right, but we [southerners] are not the one who brainwashed him and convinced him that if he went to fight in the South and became a martyr, he will intercede for 70 thousand members of his family and has thousands over thousands of beautiful virgins specially created and are ready for martyrs in paradise, your son was fooled but by his uncle not by the southerners, if that’s giving you the right to hate, then hate NCP not the SPLM because they are not the one who let your son to his miserable fate.
On the other hand, Southerners are aware of their demand and not ineed for someone to incite them over what they want…we have been fighting for our freedom long ago before Al-Intibaha seen light, definitely is not going to make a different if you keep leashing it or not, Southerners know exactly what they have been fighting for and likely nothing is going to stop us from obtaining it… adios amigos !!!… and good luck with your Islamic state in the North.
telfajbago
Sudan lifts ban on northern separatist daily
The purposes of lifting the ban has nothing to do with allowing freedom of the press to prevail in the Country, but I believe that; the ban was lifted on this time because the work of Al -Intibaha was direly needed to disseminate culture of hatred and to alert northerners a bout the danger of the secession of the South Sudan. Furthermore; Al-Tayeb Mustafa’s paper was stopped to put a good face with Mammar Al-Qaddafi of Libya and not because of its derogatory language against the Southerners or the damage Al-Tayeb Mustafa was doing to the sense of nationhood.
Kur
Sudan lifts ban on northern separatist daily
Allowing or shutting down this radical newspaper will not change anything. There is nothing new, and there is no change in the direction South Sudan has taken. So Mr. Bashir should allow his uncle to say whatever he wants. Who cares, any way?
Kur