Two weeks ahead of Sudan's first elections in more than 20 years, President Omar al-Bashir ordered an immediate stop to any practices of state censorship of media, Reuters reported Monday.

The announcement, carried by the official Suna news agency, was cautiously welcomed by editors who have received similar to promises from the government in the past. However, they said they still believe they will be pressured when it comes to "sensitive stories," according to an Al Jazeera report.
Sudan has around 30 newspapers in both English and Arabic, representing a broad range of political views. However, a number of these titles have been subjected to broad state intervention when looking to print difficult issues.

In June the government had guaranteed the "freedom of the press" in a new law, but newspapers have continued to be subjected to restrictions on their abilities, Al Jazeera reported. These included nightly visits from state security officers to oversee and often alter or remove stories before they reached the public.

The editors Reuters spoke to said titles have been forced to close after having entire print-runs seized by authorities, especially when the articles addressed difficult issues within Sudan.

The announcement is the first state representation of the journalistic code of conduct, signed by the country's newspaper editors and officers of Sudan's national security service. The document includes general promises to maintain fair reporting that respects religious and racial difference and legal requirements. Adil al-Baz, editor-in-chief of political daily Al-Ahdath, told Reuters he believes the code of conduct is a necessary move for the country's media, but said it was unclear how it will be enforced.