Sudan lauds Anadolu Agency's coverage of local, regional events

By Mohammed Amin

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AA) - Sudanese officials, leaders of political parties and youth movements expressed praise for the news published by Anadolu Agency during and after the ouster of long-serving President Omar al-Bashir.

Media experts believe also the agency is playing a leading role in boosting relations between Sudan and Turkey as well as informing the Turkish people about Sudan.

- Attention to Sudanese issues

Officials from the North African country congratulated Anadolu Agency on its 100th anniversary, saying it is a friend of Sudanese people.

In an exclusive statement, Mohamed al-Faki Suleiman, the spokesman of Sudan's Sovereign Council, said he believes Anadolu Agency has provided professional and balanced news and has become one of the leading sources of news on Sudan among the international media, by drawing attention to the country more in the past 10 years.

“Even though Anadolu Agency has only been covering Sudan for the past 10 years, it has become one of the main sources of news and analysis about Sudan through its comprehensive and balanced coverage of Sudanese issues,” he said.

He further pledged to grant freedom of coverage to international reporters after the big political changes in Sudan following the December 2018 Uprising.

Sudanese army spokesman Brigadier Gen. Amer Mohamed Al-Hassan told Anadolu Agency that he always monitors international news about Sudan via Anadolu Agency, adding it is one of the unique and balanced sources of news on Sudan.

“One of my sources of news every morning is Anadolu Agency, and I see its role as part of efforts exerted to boost of ties between Sudan and Turkey in different fields, including the media and economy.”

- Source of news in difficult times

Ahmed Ali, a youth activist in Al-Jazirah state, told Anadolu Agency that during the protests against the Bashir regime, he and his colleagues got a lot of information through Anadolu Agency and its reliable applications and news on its wires and services.

“During the times of the protests against the former regime of ousted President Omar al-Bashir and when the local media were ordered to cover up the facts and real information from the public, Anadolu Agency covered events relating to the suppression of the protests by the security forces and police as well as the expansion of the protests to different parts of the country,” he said.

Iman Ahmed, a youth activist in the Red Sea coastal city of Port Sudan, called Anadolu Agency’s coverage of Sudanese events objective and said the global news provider set its agenda according to professional priorities.

“The coverage by Anadolu Agency has helped us a lot through the apps we downloaded to our smartphones to know the latest news about the protests in the country,” she told Anadolu Agency by phone.

- Special coverage

Sudanese media expert Abdul Rahman Alamin said Anadolu Agency’s coverage has paid high attention to deepen Turkey's ties with Sudan, adding the agency is regarded as one of the main international sources of news on Sudan.

“Anadolu Agency’s coverage of events in Sudan has offered professional information from different political and economic angles thanks to its in-depth reports and features and it has even become a trusted source of information to local Sudanese media,” he said.

“Among the various regional and international news agencies, I closely follow the coverage by Anadolu Agency on political and economic events in Sudan as it uniquely understands the political and cultural context of the country and that enables it to provide more realistic coverage and analysis of developments in Sudan.”

The expert further noted that Turkey has understood well the importance of the geopolitics of Sudan on the African continent, so its state media also deals objectively with Sudanese developments.

“The agency has also covered the expansion of Turkish investments in Sudan as thousands of Turkish investors are now based in Sudan, boosting the trade balance and cultural ties between the two nations.”

Turkey's flagship Anadolu Agency is celebrating its 100 anniversary, as it was founded on April 6, 1920 – 17 days before the Turkish Grand National Assembly convened for the first time.

Since its foundation, Anadolu Agency has worked to disseminate factual news across the globe with confidence, impartiality, professionalism, and speed.

It is viewed as one of the world's most prestigious news agencies, currently producing news in 13 languages and serving 6,000 subscribers in 93 countries with at least 3,000 employees stationed in 100 countries.