Idris Hassan, a leading Sudanese journalist, died in the capital Khartoum on Sunday morning, aged 81, Sudan’s Ashrooq TV reported.

Idris was born in Khartoum in 1937. He worked for Al-Mustaqbal newspaper and then moved to Al-Akhbar newspaper.

After Al-Akhbar newspaper stopped, Hassan briefly worked for al-Thawra newspaper and then moved to the Khartoum News Agency.

Idris Hassan was close to prominent Sudanese politicians, most notably Ismail al-Azhari, Mohammed Ahmed Mahjoub, Sharif Hussein al-Hindi and others.

He founded the local news agency LUNA.  Idris was the only Sudanese journalist who witnessed the trial of the Sudanese Communist Party's secretary, Abdul Khaliq Mahjoub, in 1971.

Idris was arrested during the rule of President Jaafar Nimeiri and was stopped from practicing journalism. He returned to work as a journalist after the 1985 popular uprising against Nimeiri.

He worked as editor-in-chief of al-Rai alaam and al-Akhbar newspapers.