Sacked Sudan TV director ignored al-Burhan news: adviser

April 11, 2022 (KHARTOUM) – Al-Buran’s media adviser on Monday censured the dismissed director of Sudan Radio and TV Corporation, saying he ignored the news of the head of the Sovereignty Council and abandoned its mission as an official media tasked with publishing the news of state institutions and leaders.

In a statement released 24 hours after the sack of Lugman Ahmed from the state media body, Tahir Abu Haja released a statement to explain the al-Burhan decision to relieve him on Sunday.

Abu Haja said the official TV station ignored the news of the army and broadcast the news about the army commander in chief at the end of the news bulletin.

He added that the editorial line of private media could classify the news according to its importance but not the government media, which have to take into account the importance of the positions in the state.

The adviser went further to blame the national television for not giving the needed attention to the liberation of Al-Fashqa last year and the visits of the military leadership to the border area.

He added that the official channel was clearly used against the government and against the head of state, as he said.

Although he started his career with Sudan TV, Lugman worked more on Pan-Arab TV channels such as MBC, Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya. These regional channels enjoy a kind of independence to cover Arab affairs.

He also worked for the BBC and was influenced by the liberal school of journalism.

Abu Haja said the government would work to activate the “press code of honour and laws and regulations that govern the work of all media channels and others”.

He quickly added that these measures do not aim to “limit freedoms, but rather to reduce the misperception of freedoms and publishing crimes”.

(ST)