All broadcaster’s work permits cancelled as military official warns protesters they are ‘a danger to the revolution’

Sudan has closed the Khartoum office of Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, the station has said, adding that its staff members’ work permits have also been withdrawn.

The move came as Sudan’s military rulers said a protest encampment outside the defence ministry in central Khartoum represented “a danger to the revolution” and threatened the “coherence of the state and its national security”.

The Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera said Sudanese security officers informed it of the decision to shut it down. “The decision also includes the withdrawal of the work permits for the correspondents and personnel of the Al-Jazeera network starting from now,” said the station, which regularly broadcasts footage of demonstrations in Sudan.

No written decision was given to the bureau’s director, the channel said.

“They told us that the military council had decided to close the Al-Jazeera network’s office and withdraw its licence,” said Al-Musallami Al-Kabbashi, the director of the station’s Khartoum office. “We gave them the material and the office.”

The Transitional Military Council took power after the army ousted Omar al-Bashir, a close ally of Qatar, from the presidency. Nearly two months later, the council and protesters have been in a standoff over demands to hand power to civilians. The protesters have maintained an encampment outside the defence ministry in central Khartoum as they push for a transition to democracy.

The council’s head, Abdelfattah al-Burhan, travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for a summit. He had already visited Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Doha in 2017, accusing it of terrorism, which it denies.

The generals, backed by key Arab powers, have resisted calls from African and western governments to hand over the reins of power

Sorgente: Sudan bans Al-Jazeera as pro-democracy demonstrations continue | World news | The Guardian

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