Khartoum – Sudan Now
The Sudanese Journalists’ Union said that 34 journalists, including five women, have been killed since the outbreak of the war on April 15, 2023, marking one of the deadliest periods in the history of journalism in the country. The union also confirmed that around 680 violations against journalists and media workers have been recorded.
The union said in a statement marking World Press Freedom Day that the violations included killings, arrests, enforced disappearances, displacement, physical assaults, threats, and the confiscation of equipment, as well as the targeting of media institutions.
It renewed its call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained journalists, urged authorities to reveal the fate of those forcibly disappeared, and called for allowing independent organizations to visit detention facilities and ensure the safety of detainees.
The union noted that among the documented cases are journalists whose fate remains unknown, including Ashraf Al-Habr, who disappeared in Omdurman in November 2024, and Musab Al-Hadi, who has been out of contact since October 2025. It also cited a number of detained journalists, including Adam Ishaq Manan, Mustafa Fadl Al-Mawla, Muammar Ibrahim, and Issam Mohammed Haroun.
The union stressed that targeting journalists is not merely an individual violation, but “a crime against society,” as it deprives citizens of their right to access information.
In a related context, the union emphasized that press freedom is a fundamental prerequisite for any peace process in Sudan, noting that the current war has not only targeted infrastructure but has also undermined the public sphere and freedom of expression.
The union also warned against attempts to “militarize the media space” through censorship or propaganda, stressing that such practices would deepen divisions and prolong the conflict.
It called for providing legal and on-the-ground protection for journalists, establishing an independent mechanism to investigate crimes committed against them, ending impunity, and ensuring the right to access information.
In this context, the union affirmed that professional journalism plays a pivotal role in building trust and combating hate speech, noting that “the conflict in Sudan has become as much a battle over narratives as it is a battle over territory.”
The statement by the Sudanese Journalists’ Union comes at a time when Sudan is witnessing a sharp deterioration in press freedom, amid escalating violations linked to the armed conflict and increasing restrictions on media work across different parts of the country.
