Sudan: Journalists must not be a target

Sudan remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, since the civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group erupted in April 2023. For the second year in a row, Sudan is the deadliest country for journalists in Africa, with at least six journalists killed in relation to their work in 2025. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate, the Sudanese Journalists' Union (SJU), in condemning the systematic targeting of journalists by the RSF. It also reminds the warring parties of their obligation to protect media workers in the same way as civilians, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

A Sudanese woman holds a sign that reads in Arabic, "# Save El-Fasher" during an organised protest against violations committed by the RSF to the people of El- Fasher, in Gedaref city eastern Sudan on 6 November 2025. Credit: AFP.

Since the beginning of 2025, at least six journalists and media workers have been killed in relation to their workin Sudan, according to IFJ data. The RSF paramilitary group has been involved in all these killings, whether through indiscriminate shelling or targeted attacks.

In total, at least 13 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in Sudan, since the civil war broke out in 2023: one in 2023, six in 2024 and six in 2025 so far.

These killings represent the most extreme manifestation of violence against journalists, as well as the tip of the iceberg of the continuous attacks and abuses to which Sudanese media professionals are subjected. "[These] are no longer isolated incidents, as they have transformed into a systematic campaign aimed at silencing the press [...] in a flagrant violation of all international conventions,"says SJU Secretary General Salah Omer Alsheikh. "Sudanese journalists face direct threats of murder, arbitrary arrests, psychological and physical torture, and the deliberate targeting of their professional work,"he adds.

Violence worsens after the fall of El Fasher

The seizureof El Fasher, North Darfur, on 26 October, after an 18-month siege by the RSF, opened a new chapter in the escalation of violence and atrocities now devastating the country. UN experts have reportedwidespread atrocities, unlawful killings and sexual violence committed by the RSF. This wave of violence is also spreading to journalists and any civilians who provided information to journalists during the siege, as AFP's veteran Sudan correspondent toldAFP.

Muammar Ibrahim, a local freelance journalist based in El Fasher, is one of the latest victims of RSF's abuses against media professionals. On 26 October, Ibrahim appeared on a video circulating on social media, surrounded by RSF soldiers and confirmingthat he had been arrested when attempting to leave the city. He was detained following the paramilitary group's announcement that they had seized El Fasher. He later appeared in another video with the RSF's spokesperson, who acknowledged that the journalist was being detained because he called the RSF a "militia" in his reporting. The IFJ reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Ibrahim and all journalists unjustly detained in the country.

More than 150,000 people have been killedand 14 million have been displacedfrom their homes since the civil war broke out in Sudan in April 2023. Li Fung, the UN Human Rights Representative in Sudan, saidthe conflict has sparked "one of the world's largest humanitarian emergencies."

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "The RSF has been involved in the killing of journalists since the civil war started in 2023, and it should be held accountable for its atrocious actions. We deplore the international community's lack of action, which has led to a failure to protect journalists in Sudan, and we reiterate that the deliberate targeting of journalists is a war crime. Journalists, who have the same status as civilians do, are entitled to protection at all times, including in the context of armed conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law."

The IFJ calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations, to ensure that an independent investigation is conducted into the killing of journalists and media workers in Sudan and that the perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to justice.