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M. Continuo

Sudan closes paper for publishing military details


    KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese security forces have closed a newspaper indefinitely for publishing sensitive military information that might be linked to a rebel attack on Khartoum at the weekend, its managing editor said on Thursday.

    The Arabic-language Al-Wan paper has Islamist links, as dothe Darfur rebels who attacked Sudan's capital on Saturday.

    The paper's managing editor, al-Tayyib Farraj, told Reutersa force from state security came to the paper on Wednesdayevening.

    "They had a decree to close the paper and confiscate allits possessions," he said.

    He did not know which article had caused problems butbelieved the closure could be related to an article on amissing fighter jet which had been published after the attack.

    Farraj complained that the closure was unfair becausecensors had read the paper before it was published. Strictcensorship laws were reintroduced several months ago.

    "For months we have daily censorship and our paper doesn'tgo to the printing press without them reading it first," hesaid, adding any objections should have been voiced then.

    Editor-in-Chief Hussein Khojali was summoned forquestioning by security services on Thursday.

    Rights groups have voiced concern at mass arrests ofDarfuris in Khartoum following Saturday's attack which killedmore than 200 people and exposed the vulnerability of thecapital.

    On Tuesday, another journalist was summoned, held overnightand questioned over telephone calls with the Darfur rebelJustice and Equality Movement. JEM have a strong media arm andoften call journalists with information.

    (Reporting by Opheera McDoom; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)