{"id":20055971,"date":"2023-10-13T08:51:48","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T06:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20055971"},"modified":"2024-01-11T16:43:48","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T15:43:48","slug":"sudan-bukra-and-cpj-call-for-investigation-into-the-death-of-journalist-halima-idris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/sudan-bukra-and-cpj-call-for-investigation-into-the-death-of-journalist-halima-idris","title":{"rendered":"Sudan Bukra and CPJ call for investigation into the death of journalist Halima Idris"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Online news outlet Sudan Bukra<\/em> and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urge the Sudanese authorities to investigate and hold to account those responsible for killing journalist Halima Idris. She <\/em>was killed by members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in an Omdurman street on Tuesday.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reporter was run over by an RSF vehicle \u201cwhile reporting for the media channel on Tuesday afternoon,\u201d Sudan Bukra<\/em> said on its website the following day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want to know the truth and demand an independent criminal investigation to into the circumstances of the incident,\u201d the independent non-profit media outlet stated. She was killed when \u201cshe was performing her respected media duty in the circumstances of this damned war\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sudan Bukra<\/em>, established after the ousting of the Omar Al Bashir regime in April 2019, called her death a \u201cgreat loss\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The victim, who joined Sudan Bukra<\/em> in November 2022, \u201ccontributed, along with her colleagues, to conveying the reality of a country in crisis after the ill-fated coup\u201d \u2013 carried out jointly by the army and the RSF on October 25, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter the outbreak of the armed conflict between the generals of the Sudanese Security Committee on April 15, she remained in Omdurman with a few fellow reporters, covering the fighting,\u201d the media outlet explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen the battles intensified, Idris left the capital, but later she boldly decided to return to Omdurman. She was the only reporter left covering the war and the patriotic work carried out by young people in the Ombadda Emergency Rooms and in the hospitals and health centres still operating. She had just finished covering a subject coverage and on her way to another place, when the RSF vehicle killed her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sudanese Journalists’ Network (SJN) said in a press statement on Wednesday that Idris \u201cwas an example of a professional media personality who was committed to the issues of her country and its people\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement called on \u201crelevant organisations and free people around the world to stand by the Sudanese journalists who are doing their work in extremely difficult and complex conditions\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Shocked\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also called for an investigation into the violent incident, in order to \u201chold to account those responsible for the Tuesday, October 10 killing of Sudanese journalist Halima Idris Salim\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement yesterday, the CPJ urged \u201call parties to the ongoing armed conflict in the country to respect the press and guarantee journalists\u2019 safety\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are shocked by the brutal killing of journalist Halima Idris Salim in Omdurman, Sudan, and stand in solidarity with her family and colleagues at Sudan Bukra,\u201d said Sherif Mansour, CPJ\u2019s Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is deeply troubling that a journalist was killed during her coverage of the armed conflict in her hometown. All parties of the conflict in Sudan must respect freedom of the press and journalist safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CPJ\u2019s emails to the SAF and RSF received no replies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assaulted, abducted, assassinated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the outbreak of the war between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, journalists in Sudan have faced assaults, threats, enforced disappearances, and detentions<\/a>, by both Military Intelligence<\/a> and the RSF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of human rights violations against journalists<\/a> and other press workers have been reported in Sudan since April 15. Most of the newspapers and radio stations have been forced to close<\/a> because of the fighting and the repression<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radio Dabanga, in cooperation with 17 other news outlets issued a joint plea<\/a> in mid-August, to address the critical state of press freedom in Sudan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before April 15, Sudan already ranked 148 out of 180 in the 2023 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index<\/a>, and 29 out of 100 (i.e. \u2018Not Free\u2019) in Freedom House\u2019s Internet Freedom Index.<\/p>\n