Egypt’s Nilesat stops Radio Dabanga satellite broadcasts
February 19, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Radio Dabanga has been taken off air by the Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat since Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Sudanese independent radio station which is based in the Netherlands.
“Without prior notice, the Egyptian satellite service company Nilesat cancelled the uplink of the 24/7 Dabanga Sudan satellite programme to its channel on Eutelsat (…) at 4pm on Sunday. The channel was silenced immediately,” reads a statement the radio released on its website.
“Dabanga has resumed broadcast on the new frequency 11.354 GHz (Eutelsat),” the statement further informed its listeners.
Nilesat has its own satellites but also leasing multiple transponders on Eutelsat 8 West B satellite since 2015.
In July 2015, the Arab Satellite Communication Organization (Arabsat) has removed Radio Dabanga from its satellite upon a request from the Sudanese government.
Dabanga was the first media outlet to report accusations in October 2014 that Sudanese soldiers had raped some 200 women and girls in Tabit, a village 45km south-west of North Darfur capital El-Fasher.
Sources close to the file claim the decision has been taken upon the request of the Egyptian government.
Following a series of accusations by the Sudanese government that Egypt backs opposition groups, the countries established a joint security and intelligence committee to limit the activities or presence of opposition groups in their territories.
Recent news reports say that Khartoum has requested the opposition Egyptian Islamists residing in the country to leave Sudan.
(ST)