Egypt, Sudan to create joint Media Code of Honour

The Egyptian ambassador to Khartoum, Osama Shaltout, announced the creation of a Media Code of Honour between Sudan and Egypt, which is expected to be signed soon.

Shaltout explained in a press statement, after talks with Information Minister Ahmed Bilal Osman, that the meeting discussed ways and mechanisms to activate the joint work on the code between Cairo and Khartoum.

The ambassador said that the completion of Code of Honour and the signing are expected “soon”. Cairo is “looking forward to promoting and developing areas of cooperation between the two countries, especially in the media field”.

On Saturday, the Egyptian Media Union announced sending an official invitation to the Sudanese counterpart to hold meetings in Cairo to discuss the declaration of the Media Code of Honour.

Neither of the statements mentioned the content of the code, whether these are principles for regulating the radio and television satellite transmission and reception, or rules for the media coverage on certain topics concerning either country.

Media coverage on the strained relations between Sudan and Egypt included the publication of information on Qatar's payment of huge sums to Sudan and Ethiopia to inflict drought on Egypt, by El Mustagilla. The newspaper was sentend to paying a fine by the Sudanese press court.

In addition, Cairo has grown restless over a Sudan-Turkey naval agreement, to temporarily hand over Sudan's Red Sea island of Suakin.

Censorship

In February this year, an Egyptian satellite company booted Radio Dabanga off its satellite, in the most recent attempt by the Sudanese government to silence suppress free media in Sudan. The government had requested the Egyptian government to order NileSat to remove Dabanga Sudan TV – which is viewed by approximately 1,000,000 people channel each day.

Related:

Radio Dabanga Censored in Outer Space (June 30, 2018)