Sudan arrests editor, cracks down on press

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Sep 12, 2004 (UPI) — Sudanese authorities Sunday arrested an editor and cracked down on the press, confiscating newspapers and censoring articles.

Sources at Alwan daily newspaper said its chief editor, Hussein Khoujli, was arrested Saturday night, while its front-page main story was censored by authorities and replaced with a non-political article.

Editors at al-Sahafa daily newspaper also tens of thousands of that paper’s copies were confiscated after it was printed Saturday night, allowing it to go to the press only after having removed an article.

They did not say what the article contained.

All Sudan’s 12 newspapers Sunday refrained from mentioning the news conference held by the opposition Popular Congress Party, which accused authorities of fabricating accusations against the party and saying was trying to obtain weapons from Eritrea to overthrow the regime.

Direct news media censorship was imposed for the first time in 2000, but President Omar Bashir lifted the censorship last year.

Journalists said state censorship seemed to have returned during the weekend.