Hackers have attacked a Sudanese website close to the country's powerful security apparatus, AFP learned on Friday.
In a rare cyber-assault, the website of the Sudanese Media Centre (SMC) was inaccessible and instead carried a message that "this website has been hacked by the Border Guards".
It included a link, www.sudaht.com, to a page for "Sudan Hack Team". Other than a photograph of riot policemen, the website had no further content and said a forum was under construction.
SMC carries articles about political and security events in Sudan, an impoverished country ravaged by war in the Darfur region, South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
Sudanese journalists regularly complain of censorship by the country's National Intelligence and Security Service, which has also been accused of rights abuses.
(Also See: Japan Considering Response to Surging Cyber-Attacks on Government Sites)
SMC's hackers left a short message headlined "Journalism and what is a journalist".
They criticised titillating and unprofessional coverage on social media, and accused journalists of supporting the government.
The Islamist regime of President Omar al-Bashir has been in power for 25 years.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.