Press Censorship to be Lifted Soon, Intelligence Chief

National Security and Intelligence Service (NSIS) Chief, Lt. Gen. Mohammed Atta ‎urged working out a substitute version for press censorship that would preserve the ‎freedom, values and security of the country, accepting the version reached by the ‎joint committee‏.‏

Atta said the above statement while he was commenting on the speech delivered by ‎the Journalists Union Chief and the Chairperson of the Sudanese Journalists ‎Association, Dr. Mohieddin Titawi, during the Ramadan breakfast he hosted at his ‎home the day before in the presence of a number of Editors-in-Chief, columnists, ‎reporters and other media representatives‏.‏
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Mohammed Atta stated that what worries them is the deliberate and continued ‎excitement and sabotage against the country's policies and public opinion, pointing ‎out that the Constitutional Court resolution on the censorship of publications supports ‎their understanding of the legal aspect of censorship. "We want to roll back this issue, ‎as we need the press to be by our side while we counter the challenges in the offing," ‎commented Atta
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He further urged coordination between NSIS and press community for preservation ‎and maintenance of public freedom, adding that the Sudanese press can help in ‎managing objectively the coming electoral process‏.‏
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In that respect, Dr. Titawi, proposed a meeting on the new version of censorship to be ‎held tomorrow at the Association premises by the joint committee that includes the ‎Association, Editors-in-Chief, Press Council and Information Department in the ‎NSIS‏. ‏
During its meeting of last Wednesday, the Cabinet approved the National Security ‎Bill for the year ‎‏2009‏‎, presented by the Justice Minister, Abdul-Basit Sabdarat. The ‎Bill will be deposited with the Parliament for passage during its coming session ‎scheduled for October, ‎‏2009.‏
In a press statement, Cabinet spokesman, Omer Mohammed Saleh, said the bill ‎focuses control on the trend of tribalism and racism‏.‏
He was quoted to have said that the bill emphasizes impartiality in respect of political ‎conflicts, noting that the bill has guaranteed detainees a number of rights including ‎prohibition of physical, psychological or moral torture, respect of dignity and ‎healthcare rights‏.‏
Furthermore, the bill authorizes attorneys to inspect jails for insuring application of ‎proper legal measures and respect of detainees’ rights‏.‏
He concluded saying that the bill bars detention of women outside venues allocated ‎for them, with stress on women special rights, noting that the NCP and SPLM have ‎agreed on the bill after it had been subjected to intensive debate by Cabinet members