Sudan Elects First Preparatory Committee for Journalists Syndicate in Three Decades

A Sudanese man reads a newspaper on Aug. 20, 2019, covering the court appearance of Sudan's deposed military ruler Omar al-Bashir during the opening of his corruption trial the previous day. - EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP
A Sudanese man reads a newspaper on Aug. 20, 2019, covering the court appearance of Sudan's deposed military ruler Omar al-Bashir during the opening of his corruption trial the previous day. - EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP
TT
20

Sudan Elects First Preparatory Committee for Journalists Syndicate in Three Decades

A Sudanese man reads a newspaper on Aug. 20, 2019, covering the court appearance of Sudan's deposed military ruler Omar al-Bashir during the opening of his corruption trial the previous day. - EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP
A Sudanese man reads a newspaper on Aug. 20, 2019, covering the court appearance of Sudan's deposed military ruler Omar al-Bashir during the opening of his corruption trial the previous day. - EBRAHIM HAMID/AFP

Sudanese journalists elected on Saturday the first Preparatory Committee in three decades to pave the way for the establishment of the Journalists Syndicate.

The last legitimate syndicate in the country was dissolved after ousted President Omar al-Bashir seized power in a military coup in June 1989.

More than 600 journalists working in newspapers, international and local television channels and radio stations, as well as official agencies and photographers took part in the meeting held by the constituent General Assembly.

The elected committee consists of 15 members, who managed to win the majority of votes in a smooth electoral process, which was monitored by union experts and representatives from the preliminary committees of doctors, lawyers and engineers syndicates.

Following the December 2019 revolution, the media was divided into three bodies before journalists presented an initiative to unify the press entities by establishing an assembly that allows the participation of all Sudanese journalists in the country and abroad.

Male and female journalists, representing different generations and ages in all visual, audio and print media, participated in the general assembly to establish their professional union, including members of the former syndicate.

The elected member of the preparatory committee, Abdul Hamid Awad, said that convening the General Assembly of Sudanese Journalists “is a historic day for the Sudanese press, as more than 80 percent of its participants were deprived of this experience under the toppled regime.”

Awad, who has been working in the field for more than 20 years, said this was the first time he nominates himself and wins in the elections.

He expected the committee to promote good governance and defend any violations of human rights and freedom of expression.

He wished for the upcoming syndicate to be part of the battle to regain and support the democratic transition and the peaceful transfer of power in the country, and play its role as the fourth authority to oversee the executive, judicial and legislative authorities.



Netanyahu Aide Faces Indictment over Gaza Leak

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks to reporters before a meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks to reporters before a meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
TT
20

Netanyahu Aide Faces Indictment over Gaza Leak

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks to reporters before a meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks to reporters before a meeting with lawmakers at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces indictment on security charges pending a hearing, Israel's attorney general has said, for allegedly leaking top secret military information during Israel's war in Gaza.

Netanyahu's close adviser, Jonatan Urich, has denied any wrongdoing in the case, which legal authorities began investigating in late 2024.

Netanyahu has described probes against Urich and other aides as politically motivated and on Monday said that Urich had not harmed state security. Urich's attorneys said the charges were baseless and that their client's innocence would be proven beyond doubt, reported Reuters.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said in a statement late on Sunday that Urich and another aide had extracted secret information from the Israeli military and leaked it to German newspaper Bild.

Their intent, she said, was to shape public opinion of Netanyahu and influence the discourse about the slaying of six Israeli hostages by their Palestinian captors in Gaza in late August 2024.

The hostages' deaths sparked mass protests in Israel and outraged hostages' families, who accused Netanyahu of torpedoing ceasefire talks that had faltered in the preceding weeks for political reasons.

Netanyahu vehemently denies this. He has repeatedly said that Hamas was to blame for the talks collapsing, while the group has said it was Israel's fault no deal had been reached.

Four of the six slain hostages had been on the list of more than 30 captives that Hamas was set to free if a ceasefire had been reached, according to a defense official at the time.

The Bild article in question was published days after the hostages were found executed in a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza. It outlined Hamas' negotiation strategy in the indirect ceasefire talks and largely corresponded with Netanyahu's allegations against the militant group over the deadlock.

Bild said after the investigation was announced that it does not comment on its sources and that its article relied on authentic documents. The newspaper did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

A two-month ceasefire was reached in January this year and included the release of 38 hostages before Israel resumed attacks in Gaza. The sides are presently engaged in indirect negotiations in Doha, aimed at reaching another truce.

In his statement on Monday, Netanyahu said Baharav-Miara's announcement was "appalling" and that its timing raised serious questions.

Netanyahu's government has for months been seeking the dismissal of Baharav-Miara. The attorney general, appointed by the previous government, has sparred with Netanyahu's cabinet over the legality of some of its policies.