Al-Jazeera says Sudan shuts down bureau, blocks journalists

KHARTOUM, Sudan – The satellite news channel Al-Jazeera says authorities in Sudan have shut down its bureau in Khartoum and banned its reporters from working.

Al-Jazeera made the announcement early Friday, describing the decision by Sudan's military government as "an attack on media freedom, professional journalism, and the basic tenets of the right for people to know and understand the reality of what is happening in Sudan."

There was no official acknowledgement from Sudan's government.

However, it came as Sudan's military government warned ongoing protests in Khartoum represented a threat to security.

Negotiations between the protesters and the military about the handover of power remain stalled, more than a month since massive protests drove longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir from power. Al-Bashir has since been held by the military in a prison in Khartoum.