Updated: 3 May 2026 18:32:41
SMF Condemns “Horrific” Violations Against Journalists on World Press Freedom Day
Moatinoon
The Sudanese Media Forum has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of press freedom in Sudan, reporting “horrific” violations against journalists since the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023.
In a press statement marking World Press Freedom Day, the Forum said the media landscape in Sudan has become a high-risk environment, where journalists face direct threats including killings, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances, as well as ongoing intimidation that forces many to stop working or practice severe self-censorship.
According to the statement, at least 34 journalists, including five women, have been killed, as part of a total of 680 documented violations against media professionals. These include displacement, physical assaults, equipment confiscation, and direct targeting of media institutions.
The Forum noted that these abuses coincide with an almost complete absence of press freedom across large parts of Sudan, due to strict restrictions on reporting, deliberate information blackouts, and the closure or destruction of media outlets.
It also highlighted Sudan’s decline in the World Press Freedom Index to 161 out of 180 countries, down from 156 last year.
The Forum strongly condemned all violations against journalists and called on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease targeting media workers and ensure their protection under international humanitarian law. It also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of arbitrarily detained journalists and clarification of the fate of those forcibly disappeared.
Furthermore, the Forum urged the international community, including the United Nations and the African Union, to intensify pressure on the warring parties, conduct independent investigations, and hold perpetrators accountable, noting that no investigations have yet been carried out into the killings of journalists.
The Forum stressed that no meaningful political process or democratic transition in Sudan can succeed without guaranteeing media independence, emphasizing the vital role of journalism in peacebuilding, transparency, and accountability.
It concluded by expressing full solidarity with Sudanese journalists inside and outside the country, pledging to continue monitoring violations and defending press freedom.
