Sudanese security stops five private papers publishing

April 16, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese authorities prevented five privately owned newspapers from publishing on Wednesday, the latest in a wave of censorship, journalists said.

Al-Sudani, al-Ahdath, Ajras al-Huriya, al-Rai al-Shaab and the English language The Citizen paper were the latest targets of renewed censorship which opposition political parties say violates the constitution.

Sudan’s radio and television are state controlled but the private papers enjoy relative freedom. However, sporadic censorship is introduced at politically sensitive times.

A 2005 north-south peace deal paved the way for democratic elections in Sudan in 2009. Many political parties have expressed concern the vote would be unfair without a free press.

Ajras al-Huriya and The Citizen said their papers were stopped because they had written articles about censorship preventing three papers from printing a day earlier. Al-Ahdath said no reason was given.

“Our paper today has been confiscated by the national security,” said Nhial Bol, editor-in-chief of The Citizen. “They allowed us to print 10,000 copies then they confiscated them — we lost about $10,000 last night,” he added.

Independent al-Ahdath was also confiscated. “We printed 20,000 copies and our losses would be 25 million Sudanese pounds ($12,500),” Editor-In-Chief Adil al-Baz told Reuters. He said no reason was given.

Security services were not immediately available to comment.

The papers said security officials had been visiting their offices every night to inspect the content and censor anything they did not like. “This is a great loss to the freedom of our country,” Bol said. “It is illegal.”

(Reuters)