Sudan bans 3 more dailies reporting on general strike

Khartoum - Sudanese authorities have banned three more newspapers, seizing all copies ahead of distribution as a general strike against fuel subsidy cuts and price hikes continued for the third day.

The independent dailies banned on Tuesday include the Al-Ayam, Sudan's oldest newspaper, as well as Al-Tayar and Al-Youm al-Tali.

The move brings to four the number of newspapers banned since on Monday, when authorities shuttered the daily Al-Jareeda.

The privately-owned Omdurman TV network was also closed on Monday.

Authorities arrested dozens of activists and members of opposition parties on the second day of the three-day campaign for a general that saw the streets and classrooms of the capital Khartoum deserted.

The government justifies the subsidy cuts as a crucial step for economic reforms, while the opposition accuses President Omar Bashir's government of failure.