It has been more than a year since the outbreak of the Sudanese civil war, a crisis of epic proportions that is sweeping away the timid democratic advances that the country was experiencing. The humanitarian emergency is intensifying as journalists try to report in a fragile media ecosystem marked by intolerance.
On April 15, 2023, fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), since then, both sides have engaged in countless violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Sudan is experiencing massive displacement, ethnic violence, deteriorating health conditions, food insecurity, and sexual and gender-based violence.
According to UN figures, more than 14,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands injured. Half of the country’s population—25 million people—are in need of life-saving assistance, and more than 8.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 1.8 million refugees.
In this context, journalists try to do their work in dramatic conditions, risking arrest, assault, or murder. An example is the case of Bokra Halima Idris Salim, who was run over by an RSF vehicle while covering a battle in Omdurman. While a devastating journalistic reality is to be expected in wars, the media landscape in Sudan was already disturbing.
Journalism Shaped by Dictatorship
Sudan became an independent country in 1956, and its brief history has been marked by civil wars, overthrows, dictators, and the division of its territory, resulting in two nations since 2011: Sudan and South Sudan. The dream of democracy seemed to become a reality in 2019, thanks to the coup that ended three decades of Omar al-Bashir’s dictatorship. However, in October 2021, General Burhan’s coup jeopardized the recent democratic gains, including the adoption of an interim constitution that protected freedom of the press and access to information. Since then, the situation for independent media and journalists has worsened, and the sector has become highly polarized, returning to the media ecosystem of the dictatorship.
The audiovisual media, essentially controlled by the state, are the main source of information. The Sudan National Radio Corporation and Sudan National Broadcasting Corporation function as communication tools of the regime. Additionally, the Sudanese media regulatory body (National Council for Press and Publication) has the power to close down critical media without a court order, and the Ministry of Information manages broadcasting licenses in a highly politicized manner, according to Reporters Without Borders.
The last independent journalists’ union had been dissolved in 1989 when Omar al-Bashir came to power, and journalists suffered imprisonment and torture for covering news that displeased the government. However, in August 2022, a democratic vote reinstated the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) after 33 years of press muzzling by the dictatorship, despite the country being under a new military regime.
War and Censorship not only hinder journalistic work, but also endanger journalists
In times of war, free information is most needed. Civilians need vital information about security and humanitarian aid. Regional audiences must receive accurate information to understand the reality of a conflict in which they are directly involved. The international community requires information devoid of propaganda to denounce the crimes committed by the warring parties. In essence, citizens have a right to know what is really going on; they need uncensored, unbiased information. However, in wars, freedom of the press is among the first to crumble.
In Sudan, the situation is devastating. Freedom of expression and press freedom in the African nation have a troubling history, and since the outbreak of war in April 2023, it has only worsened. Journalists are trying to practice their profession in a hostile environment where intolerance and censorship reign.
In the words of SJS Secretary General Mohamed Abdelaziz: “If we go beyond the general threats facing the people from bombing, sniping and other measures, and the lack of medical and health services, Journalists are targeted by both sides of the conflict. Journalists, wherever they are in the conflict zones, are targeted because they may be a hostile or carry opinions or positions or convey facts that should not be conveyed.”
The media scene has become a stage for the political and propagandistic discourse of each side, leaving no room for independent journalism. According to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, cases of persecution, surveillance, and monitoring of journalists have forced them to hide their profession to avoid recognition. Hate speech and threats against them on social networks have increased, with blacklists circulating that designate journalists for assassination.
Furthermore, 26 newspapers, at least ten radio stations, and six television stations have been closed in the past year. Three foreign television stations (Sky News, Al-Arabiya, and Al-Hadath) were temporarily censored, and the buildings of 29 media companies were looted and destroyed. Fighting between the warring parties has led to recurrent network disruptions as many cell phone towers were destroyed, repeated power outages, and fuel shortages. Since February 7, most of Sudan has been completely cut off from the world due to an internet and telecommunications blackout, with the Rapid Support Forces being blamed as the main culprit.
Sudan has been at war for more than a year, but also for decades of conflict. The humanitarian crisis is worsening, and information about it is becoming scarcer. It is necessary to end the silence in the face of this conflict, which only serves to give free rein to those guilty of the atrocities experienced by civilians. Free Press Alliance calls on the international community and the international media to pay attention to what is happening in Sudan. We must act now.