Al Jazeera’s Abou Shella was arrested while covering demonstrations in Sudan.
Sudanese security forces arrested Al Jazeera reporter, Ali Abou Shaleh, while covering anti-government protests in central Khartoum on Wednesday, the Qatar-based news broadcaster reported.
Demonstrations in the Sudanese capital Khartoum demanded the dismissal of Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok as well as “correcting the course” of the revolution which disposed of former Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.
عاجل | السلطات الأمنية السودانية تعتقل الصحفي في شبكة #الجزيرة علي أبوشلة أثناء تغطية مظاهرات #الخرطوم
— الجزيرة – عاجل (@AJABreaking) June 30, 2021
However, security forces quickly intervened to prevent protestors from reaching the presidential palace.
Reporting on Al-Jazeera, correspondent Al-Taher Al-Mardi said Sudanese armed forces took Abou Shella from the site to an “undisclosed location.”
“The authorities didn’t give him time to introduce himself as a reporter for Al Jazeera, they took him right away,” Al-Mardi said.
Protestors took to the streets to demand an improvement of economic conditions where inflation has surpassed 400%. Sudanese also face a shortage of basic goods and services, as well as an increase in food insecurity.
Al-Mardi said police fired tear gas on protestors near the railway station in central Khartoum to divert them away from anti-government demonstrations at the presidential palace.
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This came in response to calls from opposition groups who have been demanding Hamdok’s government to implement the revolution’s demands.
Protesters called for the formation of a new government and a change in policy to control the increasing prices.
Sudan’s prime minister said “the country’s debts, which are expected to drop within a year, amount to $50 billion.”
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