April 10, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese authorities banned a daily newspapers during two days for their coverage of press conference held by the Secretary General of the Sudan people’s Liberation Movement and articles on the press freedom.

A Sudanese journalist protests against censorship in Khartoum November 4, 2008. (Reuters)

Ajras Al-Hurriya, a pro-SPLM daily newspaper had been banned by the security service on Thursday and Friday for the coverage of a press conference held by Pagan Amum the SPLM secretary general and some editorials written by the editor in chief and other journalists on the draft of new press law.

In a press release issued yesterday the daily denounced the abusive censorship saying other newspapers were allowed to publish the same coverage of Pagan statements. It also added that security officials remove official’s news, interviews and even the commercial advertizing.

Sudanese constitution, created after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005, enshrines press freedom but, the current press and security law are not yet upgraded to cope with the new constitution of July 2005. However the two peace partners agreed recently on a draft law that facing regular criticism.

The main political partner in the national unity government, the SPLM condemned the move saying that deliberate and continual targeting of the press under the guise of national security, is a flagrant violation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

The SPLM urged the National Congress Party to drop its censorship policy saying it made the security officers editors in chief of the newspapers.

In his bared article Kamal Al Gali, the editor in chief of Ajras Al-Hurriya, slammed the heavy fines included in the draft of the new press law saying it breaches the press freedom.

The piece also urged to involve all the concerned parties in the preparation of the press law.

(ST)