Khartoum- SAR
The Sudanese Journalists Union has documented a staggering 514 cases of violations against journalists, including 21 tragic deaths, as the brutal war in Sudan continues to rage. Among the victims, four journalists were killed while in detention by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Iman Fadl Al-Sayed, the Union’s Secretary for Freedoms, revealed these grim statistics at a symposium on “Challenges of War Journalists in Conflict Zones and Ways to Confront Them,” hosted by the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate.
She stressed that nearly 90% of media institutions in Sudan have been entirely destroyed, leaving reporters with little ability to perform their work or move freely through the increasingly perilous areas, noting that, to date, the union has published 14 reports documenting violations against journalists across the country.
She highlighted the significant challenges the union faces in communicating with journalists across the country due to the deteriorating security situation.
She noted that several reporters have been arrested for covering ongoing events, often being labeled as enemies or supporters of one side, which puts them at great risk of torture or even death. “Journalists in Sudan are living in an extremely dangerous environment due to the absence of media freedom, which exposes them to constant threats,” she said.
In 2024 alone, the union documented 110 cases of violations against journalists, a figure that barely scratches the surface as countless cases remain unreported and untold. In total, 509 documented violations against journalists and media outlets have been recorded since the war began.
2024 also saw a shocking rise in journalist fatalities, with 16 reporters losing their lives—an alarming 300% increase from the previous year. This tragic bloodshed is not random, but systematic, with 20 journalists, both men and women, having been assassinated since the onset of the war.
In the darkness of Sudan’s jails, many journalists remain incarcerated simply for doing their jobs: seeking truth and bringing it to the world. With lawlessness and chaos rampant, both sides of the conflict are engaging in unconscionable acts of violence against journalists, without facing any punishment.
The union has, as well, documented 40 cases of enforced disappearances and detentions, including six female journalists, raising the total number of disappearances, arrests, and detentions since the war’s eruption to a staggering 69, with 13 of those being women.
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