Sudan’s journos call for Egyptian press to be expelled

The Sudanese Journalists' Union has requested that Sudan expel all representatives of Egyptian press organisations from the country, following the expulsion by Egypt of a prominent Sudanese columnist on Sunday, and another journalist on Monday.

In a statement from Khartoum on Monday, the Union called for the expulsion of “all official and private Egyptian media and media outlets from Sudan, preventing the entry of Egyptian publications, and ordering the Sudanese media not to carry or quote any Egyptian media content.”

In its statement, the Union also called on all its members to stop traveling to Egypt. It strongly condemned “the continued detention of Sudanese journalists by Egyptian intelligence services at at Cairo airport, preventing them from entering Egypt, and deporting them to their country in very bad conditions”.

The Union added that, “this subjects them and their families to risk of humiliation, degradation of dignity and restrictions on the freedom of movement guaranteed by international charters”.

'Clear targeting of journalists'

The statement follows the detention, questioning, and subsequent deportation of Sudanese journalist and writer El Tahir Sati, by Egyptian authorities on Sunday, and the detention and expulsion of journalist Iman Kamaluldin at Cairo airport on Monday evening.

After he arrived at Cairo Airport, authorities prevented Sati, an influential columnist at El Intibaha daily newspaper, from entering Egypt. After being held for a number of hours, he was deported under guard via Addis Ababa to Khartoum.

In its latest statement, the Union says it considers the detention and expulsion of journalist Iman Kamaluldin at Cairo airport on Monday evening, just 24 hours after the deportation of Sati as a clear targeting of Sudanese journalists without exception, and a confirmation of the Egyptian intelligence attempt to hold the Sudanese journalists accountable for its failing measures”.

The Union expressed hope that “the wise Egyptians will intervene to stop this escalation, which is driven by a destructive machine aimed at blowing up any Egyptian-Sudanese rapprochement which is based on equality, equal interests and respect for the other."