Sudanese police arrested about 30 newspaper workers today after they protested over what they said was official interference in the publication of their daily.
The source said workers from
Al-Watan
, including Editor-in-Chief Mr Sid Ahmed Khalifa, were arrested after delivering a protest note to the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Police had no comment on the report.
Mr Khalifa said today’s edition had not appeared after security officials had told the newspaper to remove articles about expired drugs being supplied to traders in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum.
The demand was made as the newspaper was going to press, too late for changes to be made, and the newspaper could not be printed, he said.
Instead of being praised for exposing this corruption in the drugs business, we were punished, Mr Khalifa said.
The employees held a news conference at their office about the issue this morning and then took their note to the ministry, after which the arrests were made.