Censorship of journalists reporting on protests

On Sunday morning, the security apparatus summoned journalist Izzeldin Dahab and released him after three hours of questioning on posts published on social networking sites. 

Yesterday, the Darfur Journalists and Media Association said in a statement that the NISS forced journalist Dahab to sign a statement pledging not to incite the masses to revolt against the regime and work to bring it down according to emergency orders.

In its statement, the association condemned repeated repressive measures against journalists and the press. These measures are “aimed at protecting the regime through the policy of media blackouts, suppression of freedoms, censorship, and intimidation of journalists and their colleagues, especially on their personal social media profiles,” according to the association.

Ongoing gags of press

On Sunday morning, agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) confiscated Akhbar El Watan newspaper, the mouthpiece of the Sudanese Congress Party, from the press office for the sixth time in a row. 

At the time of writing, journalist Osman Mirghani, the editor of El Tayyar daily newspaper is still being held incommunicado by the security forces.

In January, Sudanese authorities withdrew work permits and press cards from journalists of Sudanese and foreign media agencies, including at the offices of Al Jazeera and El Arabiya TV Satellite channels in Khartoum, as well as correspondents of the Turkish Anadolu news agency.

Sudanese media organisations and journalists have been targeted for reporting events surrounding demonstrations that have been going on for over two months, which call for the step-down of President Al Bashir and his regime which has been in power for almost 30 years.