Sudan politician says will quit over press freedom

Sept 13, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — A senior Sudanese politician threatened to resign on Tuesday over what he said was the resurgence of censorship against Sudanese newspapers since the assassination of a journalist last week.

Yasir Arman, deputy secretary-general of the former southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), said he could no longer enforce Sudan’s constitutional rules on freedom of the press.

“As the chairman of the information committee in the parliament I find it difficult and ridiculous to carry out my duty,” he told Reuters. “I’d prefer to resign than violate my mandate of ensuring the freedom of the press,” he added.

Arman, a member of parliament, is one of the most senior and well-respected SPLM officials in Khartoum.

Journalists said mostly Arabic-language opposition newspapers have been the target of censorship. The independent al-Sudani paper was confiscated this week and has been heavily censored. Opposition al-Rai al-Shaab paper said censors from the government state security forces enter their office each day.

The SPLM joined government last year after a peace deal was signed in January 2005 and a new constitution was formed enshrining the freedom of press.

“The return of the censorship against the newspapers and the monitoring of the media in general is a violation of the constitution and renders democratic transformation meaningless,” Arman added.

State security has said there was no return to censorship but that the measures were to protect the integrity of the investigation into the murder of newspaper editor Mohamed Taha, who was kidnapped and found dead last week.

Foreign journalists said they have also been targeted by state security who attacked a camera crew at a protest last week and detained and beat another foreign journalist. The correspondents declined to be named.

(Reuters)