Sudan’s NCP says SPLM endorsed press censorship

May 13, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The National Congress Party (NCP) said the decision to censure the Sudanese press has been taken jointly with its main partner in the National Unity Government after a complaint from the First Vice President.

Dr. Kamal Obeid, State Minister at the Ministry of Information and Communications, revealed that Silva Kiir Mayadrit, Sudan’s First Vice-President and President of Southern Sudan Government, complained in a letter sent to President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir about some of that is written in a number of newspapers on the SPLM and its Chairman.

Obaid further said that a meeting had been convened between the head of security and intelligence services, Salah Abdelallah Gosh and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)’s Secretary General Pagan Amum where it was agreed to impose censorship on the press and review its content before printing.

Security services are dispatched at night to review newspapers before they are published and have the power to remove any articles and in some cases ban entire edition for days.

The Sudanese official made this disclosure in response to questions posed by Sudanese journalists working with foreign media during a meeting organized in Khartoum on Tuesday.

The SPLM officials are regularly attacked by some daily newspapers loyal to the NCP like Al-Intibaha and Al-Wifaq. Salah Gosh had ordered last to shut down Al-Wifaq after its editor called for the death of the leader of the SPLM bloc in the national assembly, Yasir Arman.

Obeid also repeated what had been said by other NCP officials that the draft of the largely criticized law press had been written by the SPLM. He pointed out that the important fine included in the draft law was one of the SPLM proposals.

SPLM officials did not react to these accusations. Only Yasir Arman after these revelations said his party was ready to review the undemocratic draft law.

The draft law maintains the Press Council under the control of the government and gives large discretionary powers to the council to control journalists or the establishment of a newspaper. It also imposes heavy fine on the journalist and allow journalists’ imprisonment.

Observers say the NCP trapped the SPLM which wanted to force the first to stop its press from publishing hostile papers. Also they add that as the date of upcoming election become nearest the dominant party uses this issue to discredit the southern Sudan ruling party.

(ST)