Khartoum: The Sudanese Journalists Union (SJU) issued a press statement marking World Press Freedom Day, revealing what it described as an unprecedented crisis facing Sudanese journalism since the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023.
According to Sudan News Agency, the union stated that the profession-established in Sudan since 1903 and uninterrupted for more than 120 years-now faces systematic targeting by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, which it accused of attempting to isolate Sudan from the world and conceal violations by dismantling the media sector. The statement characterized these actions as a series of abuses rising to the level of crimes against humanity.
The human toll among journalists has been severe: 26 journalists have been killed by direct gunfire or indiscriminate shelling, while hundreds have been subjected to arbitrary detention. Approximately 20 journalists remain held in undisclosed detention facilities in El Geneina, Nyala, and El Fasher, with their fate unknown. The statement also cited the forced displacement of thousands of media workers after their homes and workplaces were turned into military sites and conflict zones.
On the infrastructure front, the union documented widespread destruction affecting major media institutions, including the Sudan News Agency, the Sudan Radio and Television Corporation, and national broadcasting entities. It reported the burning of historical digital archives and the looting of technical equipment and outside broadcasting vehicles valued at more than $26 million, resulting in the displacement of around 2,500 employees and technicians.
The statement added that international media outlets were not spared, with their offices targeted and equipment looted, alongside what it described as the near-total destruction of private media institutions and channels in the capital and affected states.
The union praised the resilience of Sudanese journalists who continue to carry out their professional duties through alternative platforms despite limited resources and grave risks. It issued an urgent appeal to the international community and relevant organizations to explicitly classify these violations as war crimes and to pursue accountability for perpetrators.
The union also called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to take immediate action to secure the unconditional release of detained journalists and to ensure protection for media personnel operating in areas under militia control.