28 local journalists arrested in Khartoum: Watchdog

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM

Twenty-eight Sudanese journalists were arrested by the authorities on Monday, the Sudanese Journalist Network (SJN), an independent watchdog group, has asserted.

SJN official Hassan Brkia told Anadolu Agency that, for the last several weeks, local journalists have been protesting the repeated confiscation and censorship of local newspapers by the Sudanese authorities.

According to Brkia, a total of 28 journalists -- 18 men and 10 women -- were arrested Monday while taking part in a sit-in outside the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS)’s Khartoum headquarters.

“Journalists from the Al-Jareeda newspaper, along with their supporters, held a sit-in outside NISS headquarters in Khartoum to protest the paper’s repeated confiscation in recent weeks,” Brkia stated.

“But security forces rounded up 28 of them, and we still don’t know their whereabouts,” he added.

At least 10 editions of Al-Jareeda have been confiscated by the authorities since demonstrations erupted across Sudan in mid-December.

On Sunday, a cameraman for Reuters -- Aktybe Sidig -- was hurt by a rubber bullet fired by riot police while covering the protests in Khartoum.