South Sudan Suspends Al Watan Newspaper

The government of South Sudan has suspended Arabic newspaper Al Watan with effect from March 27.

According to the authorities the newspaper has failed to meet the terms of its operating license, as well as neglecting to renew its licence that expired in April last year.

Journalists have disputed the suspension, claiming that it is intended to restrict free speech.

The paper ran into trouble earlier in the year when it was barred from covering unrest in Sudan that the embassy claimed was supportive of protests. The editor-in-chief of the paper was summoned to appear before a hearing committee to answer on the matter and warned that “the ongoing protests in Khartoum are internal issues affecting a friendly nation, the media in South Sudan should not write or broadcast investigative statements and comments about it,” in a letter from the Director General of the Media Authority.