Sudan starts all-out purge of its media institutions

Asmaa al-Batakoshi

Sudanese citizens have been calling on their country’s government to uproot the Muslim Brotherhood from all aspects of Sudan’s life since the downfall of the Brotherhood-leaning Omar al-Bashir regime in April 2019.

Sudanese authorities kicked out 20 radio and television employees recently for having links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Purge

The sacking of the 20 employees came in the light of a decision in this regard by the director of the General Radio and Television Authority Rachid Saeed Yacoub on January 30.

This decision is one of many taken recently in Sudan with the aim of purging the Sudanese media field of the affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood and those with loyalties to Qatar.

Yacoub said some media institutions with links to the ousted president would be confiscated and subjected to questioning over their funding and ownership.

The aim of this move, he said, would be to return the Sudanese people’s stolen funds.

Bashir was keen on controlling the media over his 30 years of rule. This is why the Sudanese transitional authorities are reviewing the files of media workers to ensure that none with loyalties to the ousted president maintains his position.

Siege

In mid-January, a government panel responsible for purging Sudanese institutions of the remnants of Bashir’s regime decided to seize several TV and radio outlets with loyalties to the ousted president.

Rachid said he has documents proving that one of the channels seized had received tens of millions of Euros in support from the Sudanese presidency under Bashir.

Another media company, he said, had direct links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

He added that the head of the company is implicated in a number of legal infringements, including the embezzlement of public funds.

Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok had sacked the head of the Radio and Televion Authority Ibrahim al-Bazaei for having links with the Muslim Brotherhood.