Five journalists detained by RSF in North Darfur’s El Fasher, seven ‘missing’ amid media blackout

The North Darfur capital of El Fasher is suffering from a complete communications and internet blackout, making it extremely difficult to obtain accurate information about the humanitarian situation and the number of missing persons, and allowing for the spread of misinformation and the suppression of facts. The Freedoms Secretariat of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate warns against attempts to silence the press and target journalists to prevent the world from following events in Darfur. In a statement today, they lament that approximately 20 media professionals were operating within El Fasher before the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the city. “Contact has been completely lost with seven journalists, whose fate remains unknown. Twelve of these journalists managed to escape and reach the Tawila area, while five were arrested by the RSF.

Among those arrested were journalist Muammar Ibrahim, who appeared in a video surrounded by armed men, and photojournalist Ibrahim Jibril Abkar, who appeared in a widely circulated video with several RSF prisoners. The statement described the journalists’ experiences in El Fasher – facing death, arrest, or enforced disappearance – as “a blatant violation of the rights of journalists guaranteed under international humanitarian law and press freedom conventions”.

The statement recounts reports by the fleeing journalists of an arduous journey, walking for miles amidst hunger, fear, and destitution, with no transportation, closed roads, and no guarantees of protection. The syndicate noted that the survivors suffered severe exhaustion from thirst, hunger, and lack of sleep. It also points out that that the health of several journalists deteriorated due to the lack of healthcare in the areas they reached, particularly in the Tawila region, which lacks basic services.

“A number of journalists were forced to leave behind their equipment and personal belongings while attempting to escape the shelling and clashes,” the syndicate says.

The Secretariat for Freedoms noted that the media situation in El Fasher is suffering from a complete communications and internet blackout, making it extremely difficult to obtain accurate information about the humanitarian situation and the number of missing persons, and allowing for the spread of misinformation and the suppression of facts. It warned against attempts to silence the press and target journalists to prevent the world from following events in Darfur.

The syndicate demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all journalists detained by the Rapid Support Forces, the disclosure of the fate of the missing, guarantees for their safety, and the provision of a safe environment for media workers in conflict zones. It also called on international organizations to intervene urgently to protect journalists and hold accountable those who spread disinformation.

The syndicate’s secretariat considered the events in El Fasher to be an extension of a wide range of violations against the press since the outbreak of war in Sudan in April 2023, and affirmed its full commitment to defending journalists, ensuring their right to access information, and protecting them from targeting, blackmail, and disinformation.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”. Free and unrestricted media are essential for this right to access to information, yet year-on-year, Sudan continues to languish at the bottom of the annual Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, at 149th of 180 countries surveyed in 2024.

Sudan’s journalists ‘fair game’

“The war in Sudan is not just a conflict of arms, but a battle for truth. The silencing of the pen is a tragedy for the Sudanese people and a threat to democracy everywhere. We must stand together to ensure that the voices of Sudanese journalists are not silenced,” says Kamal El Sadig, Editor in Chief of Radio Dabanga, in an editorial to mark the UN-declared International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) on Sunday.

“At least 32 journalists have been killed since the beginning of the current conflict in 2023, while renewed reports of violations flow in from Darfur, including the rape of women journalists. Assassinations and detentions have been accompanied by systematic distortion campaigns and withholding of information. Abuses are no longer limited to journalists but now also include anyone suspected of cooperating with them.

“Across Sudan, internet and mobile phone access is curtailed, controlled, unreliable, and intermittent, especially in those marginalised areas and communities. Of the 22 local radio stations that operated in Sudan, only two remain operating in a limited scope, broadcasting biased discourse that serves the interests of one party over the other.

War of misinformation

“Beyond the direct violence, a war of misinformation rages, deepening the crisis. In the absence of reliable reporting, rumours and fake news spread, each side vying for control of the narrative. The Sudanese people, in dire need of accurate information to protect themselves and their families, are left in the dark,” Elsadig says.

#DontforgetSudan