[HCDX] CRW 056 Extra : Voice of Sudan RIP

["Martin Schoech" <schoechi@xxxxxx>]

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CLANDESTINE RADIO WATCH
EXTRA November 1, 2000

Notice: This bulletin is copyrighted, therefore, information contained
herein may not be copied, republished or redistributed in part or in
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SUDAN: Voice of Sudan RIP

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SUDAN: Voice of Sudan RIP
By Martin Schoech, CRW European Bureau
Nick Grace C., CRW Washington Burea

[Oct 31] The Voice of Sudan, which broadcast on behalf of the 
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against Sudan from its base in 
Asmara, Eritrea, has been closed down.

The closure comes on the heels of Eritrean President Issayas 
Afewerki recent trip to Khartoum in seek of economic trade, and 
just one month short of planned legislative and presidential 
elections in Sudan.  The elections are being boycotted by nearly 
the entire democratic opposition.

The Sudanese Minister of Culture and Information, Dr. Ghazi Salah 
al-Din, told the Sudanese News Agency earlier today that the 
Voice of Sudan is now officially off the air in a "positive 
development" that is the result "of the recent contacts between the 
two countries..."

Without mentioning the closure of the NDA's radio station, Eritrean 
ambassador to Sudan Eissa Ahmed Eissa told Agence France 
Press on yesterday (Oct 30) that "No deal was concluded with the 
Sudanese government during the last visit by... Afewerki to 
Khartoum for getting rid of the NDA in exchange for certain 
economic priviliges."

Sudanese Minister of External Relations, Dr. Mustafa Osman 
Ismail, reported to the Sudan News Agency on Monday, however, 
that he is "following up the meetings currently being held in 
Asmara between the Eritrean government and elements of the 
opposition.  "(T)he outcome of these meetings would be more 
obvious during the coming days," he said, "and in the light of which 
the next step would be defined."

The outcome is clearly the silencing of The Voice of Sudan.

Since April 2000, the NDA has been increasingly isolated by other 
opposition groups and was expelled from the Umma Party coalition 
for its resistence to negotiate with the regime in Khartoum. Reports 
also indicate that the United States government, which has 
provided the group with at least US$20 million in non-military aid, 
has recently become reluctant to provide the group with additional 
funding.

The Voice of Sudan, which hit the airwaves in 1995 and was 
relatively easy to listen to around the world on short wave, 
maintained warm relations with its overseas listeners and had a 
good "QSL" verification policy. Recent efforts since August to 
reach sources within the NDA, who for years had been 
friendly to CRW, have been unsuccessful.

(Simon Davies in Asmara, Eritrea, contributed to this report.)
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