Majoub recounts the experience of ``Al-Ayyam`` with the Abboud regime: From Abboud Jumbi to Montouqameri 2-3
Sidiq Mihesi
In the face of the first military regime ruling Sudan, Majoub recounts the experience of "Al-Ayyam" with that regime. During Abbouds era, journalism operated within a narrow margin concerning news and commentary. There was a list of prohibitions that left no room for initiative in obtaining free news. This came through strict instructions that forbade newspapers from publishing any news related to government activities, except through the official news bulletin issued daily by the Ministry of Information and Labor. Abbouds regime froze the Press Law of 1930, dissolved the Press Union, and revoked the membership of the press representative, who was the head of the union, in the committee certifying the newspapers. However, after private consultations, they accepted having Bashir Mohamed Saeed as a committee member personally, not as a representative of the dissolved journalists union.
There were daily reports submitted from a special office within the Ministry of Information to the Ministry of Interior on the daily performance of newspapers. This could be termed post-publication censorship. Mohammed Hassan Ahmed, Awad Abdel Razek, and Mohammed Al-Khalifa Taha Al-Rifai worked in this role. Regarding writings, it was not allowed to publish any articles attacking or criticizing the governments performance. Among the newspapers that did not strictly adhere to the military governments directives was the newspaper "Al-Ayyam." It implicitly took an opposition stance against the military regime, leading to sanctions that resulted in its closure more than once. Other newspapers received warnings and notices from time to time, but none of them ceased publication for more than a few days.
Majoub Mohamed Saleh says, "The newspaper Al-Ayyam was suspended for three and a half years twice during the six years of the first military rule. The first suspension was in January 1959 when Al-Ayyam objected to the trial of labor leaders before a military court, dubbing it the Nuremberg Trial, referencing the court established by the Allies to try Nazi leaders. This angered the authorities, leading to the suspension. Bashir Mohamed Saeed had written in his daily column, criticizing the military court where Shafei Ahmed El-Sheikh, the secretary of the Labor Union, and Mohammed El-Sayed Salam, the union president, appeared. Bashir demanded their trial in civilian courts where they could defend themselves. However, the newspaper resumed publication after the coup on March 4, 1959, known as the Shenan Movement, led by General Mohieddin Ahmed Abdullah, who was accused of affiliating with the National Unionist Party. Still, the newspaper closed again due to its criticism of the regime. Among the forbidden topics was reporting on corruption associated with the construction of the new Halafa villages after deporting the residents of the old Halafa. However, Al-Ayyam circumvented the ban by calling for an investigation into the matter.
The military authorities always viewed Al-Ayyam with suspicion, with some officials considering the newspaper open to communist pens. This perception was influenced by Majoub Othmans communist affiliation. Indeed, Al-Ayyam published articles by various communist writers, including Abdul Khaliq Majoub, the partys secretary, Abdul Rahim El-Wasila, Mohammed Saeed Marouf, and Hassan El-Tahir Zarrouk. The authorities were particularly displeased when Mahmoud Jad Kareem, a member of the Communist Party, published a series of observations from Zanzibar. He reported on the massacre against the Arab Sultan in 1962, causing thousands of Arabs to be killed, and their bodies thrown into the Indian Ocean. Mahmoud Jad Kareem was one of the leftist writers who published in Al-Ayyam, and his articles were eagerly awaited by readers for their criticism of the military regime.
Majoub recounts that once Al-Ayyam received a strong warning from the Ministry of Information when it published a provocative article titled "Coup of 17 Railway Cars on the Port Sudan Line," sparking the governments fury. The newspaper was on the verge of closure, but Bashir reassured them, denying any intention to imply the coup against the regime. People rushed to buy Al-Ayyam that morning to read the exciting and ambiguous news. Those who looked beyond the incident stood still in front of the provocative headline, linking it in the minds of many to the coup on November 17. The Deputy Minister of Interior immediately contacted the editor-in-chief, Bashir Mohamed Saeed, warning and threatening him against resorting to such methods, or else the authorities would not hesitate to disable the newspaper.
Majoub states that he was once summoned at 6 AM to the office of Interior Minister Mohammed Majzoub Al-Bahari, feeling anxious about the early summons, anticipating tragic news. Upon arriving at the ministrys building, he found Minister Al-Bahari and Talaat Farid waiting for him, with Al-Ayyam placed on the desk. When he entered, General Talaat angrily questioned, "What is this you have published? Do you think we are fools, mocking us?" Majoub was surprised by this sudden attack; Talaat threw the newspaper at him, asking him to read the article. The published news was a statement by US President Eisenhower stating that General Montgomery was an excellent military man but understood nothing about politics. Talaat interpreted it as if they were suggesting that military men understood nothing about politics! Although Majoub assured them they didnt mean it when they published the news, as it was a regular news report, he was
