Al Jazeera TV Says Police Raid Its Khartoum Office

Al Jazeera TV Says Police Raid Its Khartoum Office

DUBAI, Dec 17 (Reuters) – Arabic TV channel Al Jazeera said on Wednesday Sudanese police had stormed its office in Khartoum and seized broadcast equipment, apparently in reaction to the popular channel’s coverage of Sudanese affairs.

Al Jazeera said in a news bulletin that police had also escorted its Khartoum bureau chief out of the office, but it was not immediately clear whether he had been detained.

Spokesman Jihad Ballout told Reuters from the station’s Qatar headquarters that they were still making investigations.

“We’re looking closely at the issue to find out what happened and to sort it out and to ensure things are back to normal,” he said.

Al Jazeera said its Khartoum office had recently received several threats from the police, who it said were unhappy with coverage. On Wednesday, the channel aired a program that included interviews with members of Sudanese opposition groups.

The channel, which is widely watched in the Arab world, has in the past upset many conservative Arab governments with its reporting. It also drew criticism in Britain and the United States over its coverage of the war in Iraq.

The Sudanese government and rebel groups are engaged in peace talks aimed at ending a 20-year conflict in the south of Africa’s largest country.