Sudan to list media outlets owned by former govt officials

On Wednesday, Sudan’s Minister of Information and Culture reported that measures have been taken to list media institutions owned by former state officials.

Minister Feisal Mohamed Salih said in a press statement on Wednesday that the Ministry is filtering those media outlets set-up by officials of the former National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

He also pointed to similar measures taken against individually-owned media institutions yet financed by the state that were benefiting members of the National Congress Party and the Islamic Movement.

No decision has been taken about the next step. The state may take over the outlets or liquidate them, with the proceeds going to the state treasury.

‘Technical measures’

Salih added that political security constraints, as experienced during the reign of Omar Al Bashir, have become non-existent. “These are technical measures, as our general guidelines are that we have nothing to hide. We welcome local media and will facilitate their work as much as possible.”

On April 11, the December 2018 Revolution culminated in the overthrow of the 30-year regime of Omar Al Bashir.

A civilan-led Council of Ministers was installed in early September, but the transition to a democractic Sudan may be threatened by elements of the “deep state” –remnants of the Al Bashir regime– that that are still to be found in many corners of officialdom.

The new government however did not waste time, and began to take measures soon after its formation. On September 15, Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok replaced the director of the Sudanese Radio and Television Corporation.

Rule of Law

An independent Attorney General was appointed on October 15. He vowed to restore the Rule of Law in the country.

Nine days later, he announced measures to lift the immunity of NISS members, allowing them to face charges from the Public Prosecution.

Attorney General Tajelsir El Hibir also pledged to try “perpetrators of serious human rights violations since 1989”.

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