Sudan newspaper editor says ordered to quit by security

[Joe Higashi]

Sudan newspaper editor says ordered to quit by security

KHARTOUM | Thu Apr 4, 2013 4:58pm EDT

(Reuters) - The editor of one of Sudan's biggest independent newspapers said on Thursday security agents had ordered him to leave his job after accusing him of insulting one of their colleagues.

Sudanese journalists complain of frequent restrictions, even though censorship was officially abolished in the Arab-African country in 2009.

Al-Nour Ahmed al-Nour, one of most prominent journalists in Sudan, told Reuters two security agents came to his office on Wednesday and told him he was not longer allowed to work as editor of al-Sahafa newspaper.

"They told me ... I had insulted a security officer," Nour said, adding they had given no further explanation.

The security service, which was not available for comment, often bans distribution of entire editions to inflict financial losses on newspapers as punishment for critical coverage, journalists say.

Sudan's constitution guarantees press freedom but editors say the security services expect them to clear main stories before publication every day.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz; Writing by Ulf Laessing in Cairo; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

 

[scroobal]

What a terrible, backward and broken down country. Never heard of press censorship or intimidation of the free press elsewhere. If their political leaders had been educated in the west in well regarded universities like Cambridge these kind of archaic acts will not be tolerated. I always believe if you are educated to a high level these sort of things will not occur as they are able to articulate their points well.

 

[kingrant]

Well, not Cambridge for sure, from the Singapore experience. Surer if leaders are educated in the U.S. like Harvard, Yale and like.

What a terrible, backward and broken down country. Never heard of press censorship or intimidation of the free press elsewhere. If their political leaders had been educated in the west in well regarded universities like Cambridge these kind of archaic acts will not be tolerated. I always believe if you are educated to a high level these sort of things will not occur as they are able to articulate their points well.