Sudan confiscates, censors newspapers for reporting FIFA suspension

11:56 PM July, 14 2017

Sudanese Online
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New York, July 13, 2017--Sudanese authorities should stop confiscating newspapers and censoring their coverage, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. In recent days, the country's security service has confiscated or censored the coverage of at least five newspapers, according to press reports.

Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) today ordered the editors of the sports newspaper Al-Sada to remove articles pertaining to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)'s July 6 suspension of the Sudan Football Association (SFA) from membership in the group before publishing today's edition, according to news reports. On July 10, NISS officers confiscated all copies of the sports newspapers Al-Zawya and Al-Zaeem from the printers, news reports said, citing statements by the outlets.

In a statement NISS sent to Sudanese newspapers editors yesterday, officials instructed newspapers not to publish any reports that "target" Sudanese officials involved in the dispute with FIFA with "accusations" or criticism, according to news reports. The statement said that all coverage should "support efforts to resolve the problem," the reports said.