Sudan suspends 4 TV channels and newspapers over support from the former regime
January 7, 2020 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of tow TV channels and two newspapers on suspicion of receiving funding from the regime of ousted President.
On Tuesday evening, security forces raided the premises of Ashorooq TV, Taiba TV, Alsudani and Alray Alam newspapers. Also, the authorities closed the office of the Holy Quran Association.
The closure came in implementation of a decision by a committee tasked with the dismantlement of the former ruling party and the institutions liked to the al-Bashir’s regime.
The Committee member Taha Osman confirmed the closure of the four media organs in a press conference held at the Sudanese presidency together with the spokesman of the Sovereign Council, Mohmed l-Faki.
Al-Faki, who is also the vice-chairman of the committee, stressed that these institutions were funded by public funds.
“We want to return the money of the Sudanese people, and the workers in these institutions will not be affected.”
Al-Bashir’s regime used to control the media inside the country to censure the independent media which was even prevented from the advertisement of public companies and government institutions.
The editor-in-chief of Alsudani Diaa Al-Din Bilal newspaper rejected the committee’s decision, describing it as vague and did not include any details.
Bilal challenged any political, judicial, and legal authority to prove that his newspaper received a single “pence” from any government or party institutions.
He further said they consider to take legal measures to challenge the decision.
In the same vein, Alray Alam Chairman of the Board of Directors Ali Ismail al-Atabani rejected the decision and described it as “unjust”.
He said that his family, which founded the newspaper in mid-1945, was forced during a period of the previous regime to sell its shares but they recently repurchased it after the revolution.
(ST)