In an unprecedented incident, a group from the Beja tribe in eastern Sudan earlier this week stormed the headquarters of Sudan National Television in Port Sudan following a dispute between presenter Zeinab Aira, who belongs to the tribe, and the television’s Director General Ibrahim Al-Buzaie.
The group considered the director general’s comments on the presenter’s traditional attire an insult and tribal leaders demanded his dismissal and gave the information minister a 24-hour ultimatum to meet their demand.
Sudanese social media platforms erupted after the raid, with many condemning it as chaos and incitement of tribal and racial tensions amidst the ongoing war in the country.
The presenter had posted on her Facebook account the day before the raid that Al-Buzaie had threatened to fire her for wearing her tribe’s traditional attire during working hours.
“The conversation took place while I was in the Sudan TV studios, which should represent the diverse fabric of society,” she wrote. “My response was that this attire is my identity, and I will not abandon it.”
The General Authority for Radio and Television issued a statement clarifying that the conversation between the director and the presenter took place four months ago. The statement emphasized that the director had not made any negative remarks about the attire and respected the tribal components of eastern Sudan. However, Zeinab disputed the statement, calling it inaccurate.
During the group’s presence at the TV headquarters, Governor Mustafa Mohammed Noor arrived and mentioned that he had spoken with the information minister who promised to form a committee to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, Walid Al-Nour, the spokesperson for the Sudanese Journalists’ Syndicate, told Radio Tamazuj that the incident at the national television was regrettable and added that it was unbecoming of Sudan TV which is supposed to reflect the diverse cultures of the nation.
“If what the presenter said is true that the director threatened to fire her just for wearing the traditional attire, it is a mistake that the television administration must acknowledge and correct,” he said. “Administrative disputes within media institutions should be resolved through known administrative procedures and regulations, and any group supporting an individual based on their color or culture in this manner is unacceptable and uncivilized.”
Al-Nour acknowledged that the television has many flaws, but these are exacerbated by the current state of lawlessness and creative chaos.