Sudan shuts down Al-Jazeera bureau, detains correspondent
KHARTOUM, Dec 19 (AFP) — Sudanese authorities have shut down the bureau here of the Al-Jazeera satellite television and detained its correspondent for false programming and poor analysis, the SUNA news agency revealed.
“The Al-Jazeera channel, through its Khartoum office and its correspondent, Islam Salih Belo, took to preparing and transmitting a number of programmes and materials stuffed with false information and poor, biased analyses and with pictures and scenes selected to serve its ends,” the National Security Authority statement said Friday.
It cited as evidence reports about tuberculosis, landmine victims in Sudan and events in the western Darfur region.
Authorities had dealt with the channel in a civilised way, in appreciation of the distinguished role it plays, the statement said, but Belo “could not appreciate this attitude and employed it for serving his profession”.
Instead, it accusing him of exploiting it “for further arrogance, provocation, lying, fabrication, distortion and colouring the facts in an unmistakably poor professional performance.”
Despite this, the Security Authority maintained constant contact with the office to advise, correct and warn him “but he did not resort to reason,” the statement said.
Belo filed reports alleging that security forces had stormed his office and confiscated equipment, while it was actually customs officials acting in a legal and civil manner because he was using an improperly imported transmission device, it added.
It said that despite acknowledging that fact, Belo had turned down a request to correct his report.
The Security Authority said that for reasons of national security and interests, it had decided to close the bureau from Thursday and detain Belo “pending investigation.”
It said the bureau “will be reopened only after the channel’s headquarters takes steps for correcting the mistakes, redressing the shortcomings and appointing to the office responsible persons who can discharge the message of the channel in a neutral and professional manner.”