Sudanese international journalist banned from travel

A Sudanese journalist has been banned from returning to his place of work in Sharjah at the end of his annual leave. Security services at Khartoum informed him that his name appears on a travel ban list.

Colleague journalists told Radio Dabanga that Alaeldin Mahmoud was stopped at Khartoum international airport on Friday as he was about to board a flight to Sharhja in the United Arab Emirates, where he works as a correspondent for El Khaleej newspaper.

Mahmoud, who arrived in Khartoum for his annual leave four weeks ago, was informed by agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) that he was not authorised to leave the country as his name appears on a travel ban list.

Restrictions

Curbs on the freedom of movement of journalists are commonplace in Sudan. The country consistently rates near the bottom of international press freedom indices. Similar restrictions are often also applied to opposition politicians.

On October 10, Dr Maryam El Sadig El Mahdi, the Co-President of the National Umma Party (NUP), was prevented from traveling from Khartoum to attend the Revolutionary Front conference in Paris.

The previous day, Dr El Mahdi was prevented from traveling to Cairo attend a meeting with Sudanese rebel and opposition figures.