June 20, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — A Sudanese journalist is among four Africans who will receive this year’s prestigious National Endowment for Democracy award.

The editor in-chief of the Khartoum Monitor newspaper, Alfred Taban, will receive the award in the U.S. capital Washington next month.

Taban is being awarded for his efforts to promote democracy, human rights and independent media in Sudan.

“I was very, very delighted because this is really a recognition of the struggle we have been involved in. Although this award is given to me, I think it is really given to the entire Sudanese people who are struggling to achieve democracy, who are struggling for freedom, who are struggling for independent press and who are struggling for human rights.” Said Taban to Sudan Radio Service.

Taban called on Sudanese to work towards achieving peace in Darfur and eastern Sudan.

He also advised journalists to improve on their standards, alleging that the government has often used the poor performance of many newspapers “to deny the Sudanese people the freedom they have worked hard for and which they richly deserve.”

Taban, who is also the chairman of the board of directors of the Grand African Media Service Company, last year received the Speaker Abbot Award from the speaker of the British parliament for his “courage and sacrifice” in fighting for press freedom in Sudan.

Alfred Taban and Veteran Sudanese journalist Mahgoub Mohamed Salih are the two Sudanese journalist who are awarded by International institutions for their achievement in defending freedom of expression.

Salih received last year the World Association of Newspapers’ press freedom award in Seoul. Salih, 75, is editor-in-chief of Al-Ayam, Sudan’s oldest independent newspaper, and has been jailed repeatedly during his more than five decades as a journalist.

(ST/SRS)