{"id":20124093,"date":"2025-12-11T20:53:38","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T19:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20124093"},"modified":"2025-12-11T20:54:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T19:54:20","slug":"sudan-media-forum-ayin-network-wins-dutch-human-rights-tulip-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/sudan-media-forum-ayin-network-wins-dutch-human-rights-tulip-award","title":{"rendered":"Sudan Media Forum: Ayin Network wins Dutch Human Rights Tulip award"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The\u00a0Ayin Network<\/em>\u00a0has won the 2025 Dutch Human Rights Tulip, receiving award at the Peace Palace in The Hague on Wednesday evening<\/strong>, for its unwavering work documenting human rights violations in Sudan and amplifying the voices of affected civilians. Dutch Human Rights Ambassador Wim Geerts presented the honour, praising Ayin\u2019s<\/em> \u201cvital and courageous\u201d documentation efforts and affirming that the Netherlands \u201cwill continue to stand firmly behind human rights defenders\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award recognises\u00a0Ayin\u2019s<\/a><\/em>\u00a0extensive use of video evidence to expose abuses and its persistent efforts to ensure Sudan\u2019s suffering population is heard.\u00a0Ayin<\/em>, a member of the\u00a0Sudan Media Forum<\/a>, described the accolade as an honour shared with Sudan\u2019s frontline reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Announcement and award ceremony at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, 10 December 2025 (Photo: Radio Dabanga)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe see it as a moment of pride not only for our team, but also a tribute to journalists who face danger, those who lost their lives, and those forced to flee but who continue to work despite fear and risk,\u201d a representative from Ayin, who asked not to be named publicly, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He reiterated\u00a0Ayin\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0commitment to independent, principled journalism, saying that \u201cwe work to reveal violations, confront\u00a0misinformation<\/a>, and highlight voices that would otherwise remain unheard. The truth does not die, and a free press is essential to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Crisis for journalists\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sudan Media Forum hosted an event titled\u00a0Sudan Under Fire<\/em>\u00a0at The Hague Humanity Hub on Tuesday, featuring a screening of\u00a0Ayin\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0documentary\u00a0The Quiet Heroes of Sudan<\/em>. The film chronicles the resilience of Sudanese women and youth, as well as the lifesaving efforts of the\u00a0Emergency Response Rooms<\/a>, volunteer networks that run community kitchens and provide basic health care to displaced and targeted civilians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sudan Media Forum Chair and\u00a0Radio Dabanga\u2019s Editor in Chief Kamal Elsadig<\/a>\u00a0hailed the documentary and delivered a stark assessment of the country\u2019s collapsing media landscape in a speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn times of war, independent media is not optional, it is a lifeline,\u201d he told attendees. He warned that \u201cthe war in Sudan is not just a conflict of arms. It is also a\u00a0battle for truth<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sudan Media Forum Chair and Radio Dabanga\u2019s Editor-in-Chief Kamal El Sadig speaking at the event titled Sudan Under Fire at The Hague Humanity Hub on Tuesday, December 9 2025. (Photo: Radio Dabanga)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Elsadig drew on figures from the\u00a0Sudan Journalists Syndicate<\/a>\u00a0to illustrate the scale of the crisis. He noted that 2,000 journalists have been pushed out of work, 555 violations against media workers have been documented, and 33 journalists have been killed, with \u201cat least 16 of them targeted specifically because of their work\u2026 their only \u2018crime\u2019 being to search for the truth and convey it to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He described the\u00a0destruction of 90 per cent of Sudan\u2019s media infrastructure<\/a>\u00a0as a devastating blow to the public\u2019s right to information. \u201cThe silencing of the pen is a tragedy for the Sudanese people, and a threat to democracy everywhere,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsadig underlined Radio Dabanga\u2019s role as \u201cthe only remaining Sudanese broadcaster with national reach\u201d and detailed the Sudan Media Forum\u2019s unprecedented cooperation among 25 independent outlets to keep verified news flowing. \u201cFor millions uprooted by conflict, information is a matter of survival,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Call for global support\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elsadig appealed directly to the international community: \u201cHelp keep independent Sudanese media alive. \u201cHe called for technical support to allow journalists to safely store video evidence, monitor hate speech, and track disinformation. Referring to the\u00a0ICC sentencing<\/a>\u00a0of Janjaweed leader \u2018Ali Kushayb\u2019 earlier that day, he noted that \u201cvideo evidence<\/a>\u00a0shared by Dabanga was part of the trial. Likewise, we need to collect and preserve footage for future prosecution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also urged governments to support media reform in any future civilian-led transitional process and to work towards ending arms flows into Sudan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event also featured contributions from political analyst Ahmed Kadouda and women\u2019s rights defender Prof Suad Moussa. Both speakers highlighted the suffering endured by civilians, particularly women and children, through nearly three years of war. They urged urgent international action to protect civilians and secure humanitarian access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evening closed with a moving performance by poet Najwa El Tayeb, whose piece\u00a0We Are Sorry, Zaka<\/em> reflected on identity, loss, and the resolve of the Sudanese people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find\u00a0Sudan Media Forum<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and on\u00a0X (formerly Twitter)<\/a>: #StandWithSudan #SilenceKills #\u0627\u0644\u0635\u0645\u062a_\u064a\u0642\u062a\u0644 #NoTimeToWasteForSudan #\u0627\u0644\u0648\u0636\u0639_\u0641\u064a_\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0648\u062f\u0627\u0646_\u0644\u0627\u064a\u062d\u062a\u0645\u0644_\u0627\u0644\u062a\u0623\u062c\u064a\u0644 #SudanMediaForum<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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