Sudan security forces raided the home of Al Jazeera bureau chief El Musalmi El Kabbashi, last night in the capital, Khartoum, and arrested him. Till this moment, no reason has been given for his arrest and detention, but the TV network has since issued a statement condemning the detention of its bureau chief.
“Al Jazeera condemns in the strongest terms the reprehensible actions of the military and calls on the authorities to release El Kabbashi immediately and to allow its journalists to operate unhindered, free to practice their profession without fear or intimidation,” the Doha based broadcaster said in a statement on Sunday.
“The network holds the Sudanese military authority responsible for the safety of all its employees,” Al Jazeera said.
“In a world in which the media and journalists face increasing threats, Al Jazeera views this as an attack on press freedom as a whole and calls on the international human rights and media organizations to condemn this infringement of journalists’ safety,” the statement read.
This is not the first time that the Sudanese government have targeted Al Jazeera. In 2019, Sudanese security forces closed Al Jazeera’s office in the capital, Khartoum, and revoked the work permit of its correspondents in the country.