Sudanese president sacks heads of state TV and radio

September 18, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir conducted a shakeup of state-owned media outlets on Thursday, removing the managing director of Sudan TV, Mohammed Hatem Suleiman, and his counterpart at Sudan Radio, Muatassim Fadl, from their posts.

Bashir also ordered the establishment of the General Commission for Radio and Television and appointed al-Samaw’al Khalafalla to chair it with Zubair Osman Ahmed as his deputy.

Sudan Tribune notes that the leadership of state media, including official news agency (SUNA), has for years been rotated among three names that included Suleiman, Fadl and Awad Jadain.

This week the Saudi Arabian conglomerate group known as Dallah al-Baraka started legal proceedings against Sudan TV regarding the sale of a majority stake in Blue Nile company (BNC) to Sonan Media Group (SMG).

SMG accused Suleiman of dragging his feet in affecting the transfer of 54% of the shares from Dallah al-Baraka to SMG over “frail” excuses.

It further said that Sudan TV has outstanding debt to Dallah al-Baraka that exceed the value of shares sold to SMG.

The president also issued a decree to form a committee to review the organisational and functional structure of the Commission for Radio and Television, headed by the undersecretary of the ministry of finance.

The committee shall review the consistency of the structure with the tasks and duties carried out by the new body and the adequacy of jobs and the number of employees.

Bashir also established a committee to review the laws and regulations governing the work of the media in light of the recommendations made by the second national conference on media issues, headed by the minister of state at the ministry of justice.

(ST)