Reporters Without Borders Condemns Closure of The Citizen, Sudan Tribune

September 7, 2008 – (Nairobi, Kenya) – The media freedom advocates Reporters Without Borders has condemned the decision by the National Press and Publications Council to suspend two privately-owned English-language newspapers, The Citizen and Sudan Tribune, indefinitely.

The media watchdog said in a press statement on Wednesday that the move deprives southern Sudan of a means of expression and “may fuel tension between North and South Sudan.”

Reporters Without Borders called on the National Press and Publications Council to reverse its decision and allow the newspapers to resume publication.

Last week, the NPPC said it closed the papers for administrative reasons, charging the editors with violating their licenses, which require them to be based in Khartoum. The papers have recently relocated their main offices to Juba.

Sudan Tribune newspaper editor and owner William Ezekiel told Reporters Without Borders that the NPPC decision is “unacceptable” and “serves the interests of the National Congress Party.”

The closure comes after several months of what he described as “a government campaign of intimidation.” Mr. Ezekiel said security agents have seized a total of 17 editions of his newspaper from the printing presses in Khartoum.

Censorship was supposed to have been lifted in Sudan in July 2005, following the signing of the CPA, but the government resumed censorship practices for privately-owned media on February 6th this year.