Sudan’s independent and opposition newspapers occasionally feature lively coverage of local political affairs, but the government quickly stifles discussion when the press becomes too bold. Coverage of topics such as the 18-year civil war, government corruption or mismanagement, or other official misdeeds has triggered arrests, prosecutions, and censorship, and has led to a rise in…
IN DECEMBER, STRONGMAN OMAR HASSAN AL-BASHIR WON overwhelmingly in presidential elections that were boycotted by Sudan’s two main opposition parties. Both parties had conditioned their participation on an end to the 17-year civil war and to human-rights abuses, including restrictions on the press. State harassment of journalists and newspapers has been a persistent feature of…
By Joel CampagnaRoyal succession and rubber-stamp elections set the tone for a year in which Middle Eastern and North African governments continued to restrict press freedoms through a combination of censorship, intimidation, and media monopoly. Ballots in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen produced few surprises as longtime rulers stayed in power and maintained formidable obstacles…
The press continued to suffer under the regime of Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, who marked his 10th year in power by allowing restricted multiparty politics. Some private newspapers were noticeably more aggressive in their coverage of issues such as official corruption and the country’s 16-year-old civil war. In response, authorities punished outspoken newspapers with…
May 7, 1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express our grave concern that Muhammad Abdel…
May 7, 1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is writing to express our grave concern that…
April 30, 1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, TThe Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nongovernmental organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom…
April 20,1999 His Excellency Lt. Gen. Omar Hassan al-Bashir President of the Republic of Sudan c/o His Excellency Ambassador Mahdi Ibrahim Muhammad Embassy of the Republic of Sudan 2210 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Washington, D. C. 20006 Your Excellency, TThe Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nongovernmental organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide,…
The CPJ International Press Freedom Awards honor journalists who have courageously provided independent news coverage and viewpoints in the face of arrest, imprisonment, violence against them and their families, and threats of death. The following five journalists will receive the 1998 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in ceremonies…
Ruth Simon Correspondent, Agence France-Presse Imprisoned Journalist Ruth Simon, a correspondent for the news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), has been in detention since April 25, 1997. Simon, an Eritrean citizen, was arrested after reporting that President Isaias Afewerki told participants at a seminar in Asmara that Eritrean soldiers were fighting alongside rebels in neighboring Sudan.…