A Sudanese TV channel known as (Sudania 24 TV) has angered a number of activists and participants in the popular protests that have been organized across Sudan for more than a month because the “state of the country programme” – one of key programmes of the TV – gave the opportunity to prominent Islamic leaders such as ex-First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement Mr. al-Zubair Ahmed al-Hassan, to speak on the channel’s program in which they publicly threatened the demonstrators. The activists also criticized the programme’s presenter Mr. Al Tahir Hassan Al Tom for his analysis of the situation.

Sudan social media activists have launched a campaign to boycott the channel “Sudania 24” because of their resentment over the coverage of the protests. The boycott campaign seeks to punish the channel economically by inviting advertisers and entrepreneurs to withdraw their advertisements immediately from the channel’s screen, and urged Channel’s viewers not to interact with or give attention to the TV’s telecasts and to withdraw their messages of admiration they wrote on TV’s webpage.

According to Baj News, until Wednesday evening more than 40 thousand followers of the page of the “Sudania 24” on the Facebook have withdrawn their admiration messages, in a campaign they said it aims to reduce the financial revenues of the channel generated from profits allocated by leading technological companies.

In another development, a great deal of pressure was exercised on advertisers that their products would be boycotted if they continue to deal with the TV Channel.

Despite the spread of links to report about the channel’s page for the purpose of closing it, it seems difficult because the page is documented by Facebook administration.

The Channel page reappeared on the Facebook hours after it disappeared last Wednesday morning. According to experts, this could probably be a cover-up by the page supervisors to allow themselves time to prepare a plan on how to deal with the situation.

For their part and in a strong reaction, Facebook activists circulated news to the effect that the Channel filed lawsuits with the Supreme State Security Prosecution Services No. (11/2019) to confront 38 journalists and electronic activist inside the Sudan and a red notice for those residing abroad under articles (66-79-77) of the Criminal Act 1991, and Article 17 of the Cybercrime Act 2007 for incitement, public disturbances, dissemination of false news, disruption of peace and public tranquility and smearing reputation of natural and juristic figures.

Source; Bajnews