The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate said it is following with deep concern and condemnation the mandatory electronic registration form issued by the Ministry of Culture, Information, Tourism and Antiquities for news websites. According to the syndicate, the form requires sensitive information and constitutes “a clear violation of rights and freedoms, and an obvious attempt to revive the mechanisms of repression and control that the former regime used against journalists and independent media outlets.”
In a statement, the syndicate affirmed its complete rejection of the form, describing it as a clear violation of the law and the Constitutional Document.
The statement added that the minister’s claim that the form is intended to “organize media work” under the Press and Publications Act is “inaccurate and legally unfounded,” stressing that the law does not grant the government authority to impose such a requirement.
The syndicate further stated that the ministry, through this form, is demonstrating its adoption of the same policies practiced by the former regime, particularly the selective support of certain newspapers through the distribution of government advertising while excluding others.
It explained that the form, together with what it described as implicit threats and conditional promises, reflects an effort to control newspapers and media organizations through strict security oversight and economic pressure by monopolizing funding sources and directing them toward specific groups. The statement argued that these are the same methods previously used to silence independent voices.
The syndicate also emphasized its categorical rejection of any ministry interference in trade union affairs, describing such actions as a direct violation of international labor conventions ratified by Sudan.
It called on the ministry to immediately withdraw the form and abandon any attempt to impose it, while rejecting any discussion about “regulating” the profession that does not emerge from a free dialogue conducted in a civilian environment and free from the influence of war.
The statement warned against a return to the security and economic policies of the past, which it said restricted freedoms and weakened independent journalism.
The syndicate reiterated its absolute opposition to ministry interference in union matters, considering it a breach of international agreements and Sudan’s obligations toward international labor organizations.
The statement concluded by stressing that ending the war is a necessary gateway and an essential condition for a free, independent, and professional press capable of contributing to the country’s future.
