Reporters Without Borders has called on the Sudanese authorities to explain why Al-Tahir Satti, a reporter with the independent daily "Al-Sahafa", has been held incommunicado by the criminal investigation police since 22 November 2006.

"If Satti is being held in connection with his work as a journalist, he must be freed at once," the press freedom organisation said. "If he is being held for some other reason, the authorities must say what that is, and he must be allowed a fair trial. Failure to comply with the legal procedures will just undermine the investigation's credibility."

Reporters Without Borders added: "The authorities cannot be surprised that we think it is outrageous that they are once again breaking the promises they made in the presence of the international community in July 2005."

Satti did not turn up for work or return home on 22 November. The criminal investigation police told the journalists' union the next day that it was holding Satti but did not explain why, although it claimed his arrest was not related to his work. The press law stipulates that the journalists' union must be notified if a journalist is summoned for questioning by investigators.

Now held for the past six days in an undisclosed location, Satti has not been able to communicate with his family or his newspaper, and he has not been allowed access to a lawyer. Journalists in Khartoum believed he has been arrested on the orders of the committee that is investigating the 6 September murder of journalist Mohamed Taha. Along with other journalists, he had already been questioned by those investigating the case.

Abou Obeida Abdallah, a journalist with the privately-owned daily Al-Rai al-Aam, was arrested on 29 September and was held for two weeks without any explanation being given.