The Juba Post suspended

The Juba Post

JUBA, 23 July, 2005 — The Attorney-General of the Government of Sudan closed down The Juba Post newspaper today, claiming the publication has operated without fulfilling the registration laws of the National Press Council in Sudan. The independent, weekly newspaper is now under investigation to determine whether it can legally operate within the country. Three journalists for The Juba Post were released on bail today after spending one night in custody charged as “illegal journalists”.

After intense negotiations, The Juba Post was issued a license to operate by the National Press Council on 26 March, 2005. The allegations for the arrest of the three journalists remain unclear. The staff of The Juba Post speculates that their closure may be due to the critical stance the paper has taken regarding the forced eviction of displaced Sudanese in a camp based in Khartoum and its recent condemnation of the closure of the independent daily, The Khartoum Monitor newspaper.

Despite proclaiming a free press in August 2004 by President Omer Al Beshir, the current situation clearly demonstrates that press remains under heavy censorship in Sudan.