STOP Censorship: Sudan Government tries to issue law on journalism

The Sudanese government started a move last week to issue a law on journalist to require them to register themselves with the government media regulator so that the government would monitor them if they misuse there power as journalist. if this law was to be passed it would grant the government the power to deny licenses and invoke strong regulation as to what journalist can write.this news was broadcasted last week on Sudan national tv after the law was being discussed at the national congress hall in Sudan.

Article on the Law from AllAfrica

The Sudanese press has been subject to restrictions since the National Islamic Front gained power in 1989, with officials arguing that censorship was necessary for national security.

However, controls were tightened after February 2008, when some journalists accused Khartoum of supporting Chadian rebels that attacked the Chad capital, Ndjamena. SOURCE

i believe that a government that dose not accepts criticism from it own citizen is a government that should not exist.one of the news commentator on Sudan tv stated that a journalist time shouldn’t be commuting from court to court but should be dedicated to writeing news that interest the people. this gives you a inside view as to what happens to some journalist who step on the red line.

In November, more than 70 Sudanese journalists protested against these curbs imposed by the country’s security service. Police detained 63 protesters, releasing them the same day. In response, 11 Khartoum newspapers suspended publication for 24 hours.SOURCE

There is still people inside of Sudan fighting this new law but they also have limits to what they can do

Parliamentary member Farouk Abu-Issa, head of the National Democratic Alliance,
who calls the bill “unjust, repressive and vague”, says that he and other independent deputies presented a “good democratic draft of [a] press law”, but this was ignored by parliament.SOURCE

After all this new law should be rethought about and reconsider because of it power to Censorship journalist and there right to state there opinion and thought. this law is coming in a time which Sudan is in great need for journalist who speak the truth and state what is right without any strict regulation. Sudan is entering a new phase in the comprehensive peace Agreement and that phase is the election phase and the need for journalist stating news without restriction is crucial.if this law is passed it would allow the government to fined journalist,deny licenses and through strong regulation they might even blackmail some journalist.for now all we can do is to protest the passing of the law and hope to win. please feel free to shear you thoughts and comments on this article or this issue.

this post was originally posted on http://sudaneseguardian.blogspot.com/

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