In a report delivered to the Security Council on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Sudanese authorities to respect freedom of expression and the press, labeling the country hostile to journalists.
Following the country’s latest turmoil on October 25, hundreds of political activists, journalists, protestors, and spectators observing anti-coup protests were arrested.
General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the military ruler, seized power on that date and jailed Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, but following worldwide condemnation and large protests, he reinstated the premier in a November 21 agreement.
“Amidst an increasingly hostile environment for journalists, I urge the authorities to respect freedom of speech and of the press,” Guterres said in the quarterly document, which has not yet been made public but was obtained by AFP.
“I reiterate my call for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested and detained arbitrarily, and to cease arrests of political opposition leaders and activists,” he added.
Since independence in 1956, Sudan has had a long history of military coups, with only brief periods of democratic governance.
“The future of the Sudanese transition remains uncertain,” Guterres said.
He also called “unacceptable” the use of live ammunition by security and military personnel against peaceful protestors, which resulted in deaths and injuries.
