Sudan withdraws work permits from Arab TV channels journalists
January 21, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese authorities on Monday withdrew work permits from Sudanese and foreign journalists at the offices of Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya TV Satellite channels in Khartoum, as well as the correspondents of the Turkish Anadolu news agency.
The Sudanese authorities have been unhappy with the coverage of television channels of the over one-month protests in Khartoum and other cities since 19 December 2018.
The decision included Saad al-Din Hassan of the only correspondent of Al-Arabiya in Sudan, Osama Sid Ahmed, Ahmed Al-Reheid and the photographer Badawi Bashir of Al-Jazeera.
Also, the correspondent of Al-Jazeera English Hiba Morgan was among those touched by the decision. However, as she was the only journalist for this international channel the Sudanese authorities reviewed its decisions and allowed the South Sudanese journalist to resume her activities.
Security officials said that the work of those correspondents was subject to an evaluation by competent authorities, which ended with the withdrawal of the work permit from them.
Sudanese authorities on 27 December 2018 prevented a journalist of the London-based Alaraby TV from covering the anti-government protests ordered him, correspondent, to leave the country within 24 hours.
Also, he Department of Foreign Media, the official body responsible for the correspondents of foreign media stopped Bahram Abdel Moneim of Anadolu news agency and its photographer Mahmoud Hajjaj cameraman.
On 7 January, Sudanese Minister of Information accused some satellite TV channels of fabricating unrealistic scenes about the protests in the country and promised to take decisive action against these media.
“The malicious satellite channels seeking to provoke sedition are under surveillance,” said Bushara in statements aired by several media including Al-Jazeera TV Channel.
Sudanese journalists who cover the demonstrations are also harassed by the security services. Several reporters say the security agents confiscated their mobile telephone and deleted the pictures. Also, some were arrested and other beaten violently.
(ST)