LONDON: The Dubai-based Al Arabiya News Channel has reported that one of its team was detained while covering a demonstration in Khartoum, Sudan.
The person was “detained by security forces,” the channel said in a tweet early on Tuesday.
#BREAKING: A member of Al Arabiya's team has been detained by security forces while covering a demonstration in #Khartoum, #Sudan. More soon. pic.twitter.com/ue5yCB7K5H
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 16, 2018
The Arabic-language news channel was not available for immediate comment, but it posted a follow-up tweet Tuesday afternoon stating that it is holding Sudanese security officials responsible for the safety of their correspondent:
Al Arabiya holds #Sudan's security officials responsible for the safety of our correspondent Abdulaziz Ibrahim after he was detained for covering protests in #Khartoum. pic.twitter.com/L14Nk9Hql7
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) January 16, 2018
According to Al-Arabiya, its correspondent Abdulaziz Ibrahim was reporting on a demonstration against soaring bread prices, at which hundreds of Sudanese were protesting near a presidential palace in Khartoum.
AFP reports that Sudanese anti-riot police fired tear gas and beat protesters with batons.
Bread prices have more than doubled after a jump in the cost of flour due to dwindling wheat supplies, after the government decided to stop importing grain and allow private companies to do so.
The protest was the biggest in Khartoum since demonstrations erupted in some parts of the country earlier this month following the price increase.
A senior leader from the Communist Party, Siddig Yousif, was detained along with several protesters, AFP reported.
