‘Activist websites tarnish image of Sudan’: Information Minister

The Sudanese Minister of Information has described websites of Sudanese activists and social network sites as “aberrant”. Ahmed Bilal, Information Minister and spokesman for the government, said in a workshop on electronic media in Khartoum on Sunday that “many of those websites are tarnishing the image of Sudan…” “Because of what the activists write on these sites, Sudan appears as one of the most poor and corrupt countries in the world. The false information they give, is hindering dialogue, and influences possible investors.” The Minister threatened to file charges against the activists, accusing them of treason, provoking war against the state, and causing disorder and chaos in Sudan. He warned that “all websites are monitored by the authorities”. In May 2014, rumours spread saying that the founder of a Facebook page called Bashir’s Diary, which published satirical news about the President, had been arrested. However, attempts to drown-out dissent appear to be ineffective: there are now ten pages under the name Bashir’s Diary. File photo: Logo of the youth activist group, Girifna (“We are fed-up”)