The Establishment of Sudan News Agency :-

News Agencies emerged in Sudan in mid1950s of the past century, by establishing Reuter’s office in Khartoum. In 1960s, Sudan had witnessed establishment of a number of private news agencies as a natural result of the importance of creating national information institutions to express the reality in Sudan with purely national vision, which will contribute in introducing Sudan internationally, and reflect its aspirations and culture, and curbing the foreign media campaigns on Sudan and the intervention in its internal affairs.

The decree for establishing (SUNA) came during observing the 14th anniversary of Sudan Independence Day. Mr. .Abdul alkareem Mahdi was appointed as a first director for Sudan News Agency. In Sept 1970, the Agency Issued the first news bulletin in both Arabic and English language. In 19th Nov1973, the fist Act of Sudan News Agency was passed. The law approved the establishment of the Agency headquarter in Khartoum, and also gave the Agency the right for establishing SUNA branches inside Sudan and abroad.

After the Salvation Revolution took power in 1989, a new Act for

The Agency was enacted and stipulated the following objectives-:

  • Collecting News from Sudan and outside Sudan, release and distribute it to the concerned bodies in the country, and also for the public and outside Sudan.
  • Accessing the world news from the Agencies, Radios, Correspondents, and release and distribute it in Sudan.
  • Distribute and release News – for money or through reciprocation with other agencies whether it is locally, regional or internationally. The Agency also may distribute the news free of charge in the cases where it decided.
  • Doing all other information tasks, or any works concerning the agency to achieve the purpose of establishing Sudan News Agency as an official information media.
  • The agency doing its task in collecting, releasing and distributing news without prejudice to the state supreme goals, or its values and traditions and the planed policy.

The project for introducing computer in the editing field has begun in 26 Feb 1993, and in the first week of October 1996 the agency has moved to the electronic system in distributing and releasing its news, and hence, the paper releases stopped, with exception of the special bulletin which remains to be issued in both paper and electronic forms and. The subscribers from newspapers, radio TV and the correspondents and others began to receive SUNA news electronically through their computers.

 

Modernization of (SUNA) information System:-

To Increase the effectiveness of the Agency in the field of storing and retrieving information, (SUNA) creates Micro-Film division in 1983, to facilitate storing and retrieving information, and also to solve the process of the small storing place, and the accumulation of paper files.

SUNA Website:-

The Introducing of the Internet services in (SUNA) has begun in June1997, as a first governmental and Journalistic Enterprise to join and establish a website on the internet by (SUDANET) ( The Internet Service Provider in Sudan ) , it was given a domain name system (suna.net) , Initially it was (STATIC) ,its information was Updated through transferring the information in floppy disc to the provider company, which in turn, transmit them to the site .

SUNA also made a contract-early 1999- with another company so as to develop its website. At that time, the News was sent through e-mail to the website designer, and the old domain name system was replaced by (suna-sd.net).

The Future vision and the modernization project of (SUNA) :-

To modernize the state and national network, SUNA had set a 3 year- plan (2005-2007) for its modernization. It had already computerized the directorate of political and TV Monitoring, by introducing a number of computers and (Rail Audio) system for recording News and Reports from the Radios and Satellite Channels. Also, in mid 2006, a technical center for Publishing and Printing was established, by purchasing computer devices, new printers, and design programs, to design: bulletins, pamphlet, booklets, and SUNA files in high-quality colored copies.

Also, SUNA conducted bilateral agreements with some states to reconstruct SUNA states’ Offices in apreliminary step to connect them with SUNA headquarters through the network.

Further, there are many projects for modernization of SUNA which are as follows:

  1. The Correspondent Service Project through ( VOIP ) .

It is one of SUNAsُ future project.

  1. Tele-Conference

SUNA, made its first experiment in video-conference in Sudan in collaboration with (SUDATEL), through a meeting, in SUDATEL’s headquarters, attended by SUNA’s Director-General and a number of SUNA workers.

In November 8, 2007 (SUNA) held a press conference with Dr.Nafi Ali Nafi , The president’s Assistant , and deputy chairman of the National Congress Party ( NCP ), for the Organizational and Political Affairs , he met with a number of journalists from international media , from London , New York , Moscow , Paris , South Africa , And the Local media . Dr Nafi appreciated this experiment and expresses his gratitude on it, and the efforts exerted for the conference’s arrangement. He also appreciated SUNA role in producing distinctive journalistic message, and creating an enlightened public opinion.

Also , SUNA , held a Tel-Conference for the Field Marshal , President Omer Al bashir in 27/11/2007 , in which he hailed SUNA role in defending Sudan and reflecting its bright image against the aggressive hostile media campaigns , In addition , SUNA organized another meeting for the President with The international media , a meeting for vice-president Ali Osman Mohamed Taha , another for Dr .Lam Akol, the then Foreign Minister , and many meetings for the states’ governors with the local and foreign media .

(SNG) device for receiving and sending Image:-

In November 23, 2007 SUNA has introduced, for the first time, (SNG) device, for receiving and sending Image from the satellite Ground Station, through this device, Video-Conference is held and the events are covered live wherever it happened.

 

TV Cart:-

Within the great technical leap SUNA had witnessed, and for implementing its modernizing projects, SUNA introduced a TV cart, which it has already arrived to SUNA in 19/4/2007.

Receiving and recording Radio and TV Programs By Computer:-

Under the presidential decree, SUNA has been chosen as the headquarters for the Information Center to follow Darfur Issue. So in Jan 2006, SUNA provided new computers to the Political Department for radio and TV Monitoring, and (Audio Real) device was installed to receive and record programs from the satellite channels and Radios through computers and transfer them electronically.

 

Recording and Transmitting SUNA Forum through plasma TV screen:-

SUNA brought a number of plasma TV screens and Cameras to record and live broadcast for the press conferences of SUNA Forum. It was installed at the Forum Hall, and a number of departments and stores, to make the live broadcast available for both, the journalists joining the Forum, and SUNA workers due to the narrow place. In October the same year, an electronic plasma screen worked by computer, was introduced to display the Forum’s Information.

 

The Correspondent Network :-

The idea of establishing Correspondent network for SUNA (by Contract), came as a substitution of SUNA Foreign Offices because of the financial shortage it suffers in running the cost and budget of these offices. the project began in 2002 , but for financial problem it stopped, till it start really in 2006, by contract with 15 correspondents from: Qatar, South Africa, Libya , Ethiopia , Egypt ,  London , Muscat , Syria , Sana , France , Mozambique , Saudi Arabia , New York , China , in addition to SUNA correspondent in Nairobi , who is at the same time the Information Attaché at the Sudanese Embassy .

 

The Modernization Of SUNA states’ Offices :-

To increase the effectiveness of SUNA states’ Offices, SUNA held bilateral agreements with a number of states’ governments to contribute in the modernization of these offices, so that it will enable them to provide an information service for the citizens of these states to reflect their heritage and cultures.

In this concern, SUNA provided them with (Lap Top), computers and vehicles.

 

SUNA Tower:-

In 23Jan 2007, a memorandum of Understanding was signed between Sudan News Agency, The international Chinese company New Era, and the Sudanese SAS Company, to build new premises for the agency. Within implementing its modernization projects, SUNA decided to maintain the old building, so it had transferred its offices temporary to the premises of the Gezira Company on the Parlaman Street.