Sudanese Journalists: 30 Months of Stories of Facing Challenges

Moatinoon
The disastrous war in Sudan, now in its third year, has profoundly impacted journalists and press freedoms in the country. The past 30 months have imposed a catastrophic reality on journalists, both male and female, due to the situations massive human and material losses, the restriction of freedoms, the deterioration of the media work environment, and the publics deprivation of reliable public information.

Over the past two years, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate has documented the killing of 31 journalists and media workers in assassinations and direct shelling. At least 239 journalists have been arrested and detained, and dozens more have been subjected to beatings, harassment, and threats. The total number of documented violations against journalists since the outbreak of the war has reached 556.

Meanwhile, the war has led to the collapse of the journalistic work environment. More than 1,000 journalists, most of them in state-run media outlets, are out of work, receiving a third of their salaries or have been forced into retirement without settlement.

The tragedy is more severe for journalists in exile. More than 500 journalists have sought refuge outside the country, facing legal restrictions and multiple pressures. Yet, many continue to report the truth and expose violations against civilians in Sudan, despite the lack of adequate international coverage.

According to the head of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, Abdel Moneim Abu Idris, the economic conditions of journalists are worsening daily due to the closure of media outlets, including radio, newspapers, and television stations. Hate speech and accusations of treason continue to threaten their work.

In an interview with Citizens, Abu Idris explained that journalists trapped in the cities of El Fasher, Dilling, and Kadugli are suffering from dire security and food conditions.

Since the outbreak of the devastating war, some displaced journalists have turned to other professions after the collapse of media institutions. They have operated small businesses in the markets, while others have pursued marginal professions to earn a living in the displacement areas.

Overcoming Adversity with Professions
Journalist Khaled Massa told Citizens, "At the time, we werent just besieged by bullets and Janjaweed forces in that geographical area east of the Nile and west of life. I was besieged by life itself, because a person doesnt stop because of war. Waiting to die by bullet, I needed something to satisfy this waiting. I couldnt find the profession I knew."

Massa was forced to sell water, carrying it on the back of a cart and wandering through the alleys and streets. He continues, "I read to myself, And We have made from water every living thing. In the first week, this caused me compound fractures in my heart. After that, words like May God give you water and not make you thirsty were the splint. I would return home with it after paying the cart fare."

Massa says that the profession of a water carrier was not without risks, just like writing an article about the revolution in a time of suppressed freedoms. He adds, "In both cases, there was a censor who did not want us to earn a living lawfully. A profession in times of war, in which those carrying weapons are seen as a threat to their security."

Describing the profession of a water carrier in wartime, Massa says, "The harshest thing about it is that you take in return what may be the last possessions of a family with children. But did you teach me that the difference between holy bread and a barrel of water is a thin thread. Pull it and life is cut short?"

Journalist Emtinan Al-Radhi experienced a unique transition when she found herself with her family outside Khartoum after the outbreak of war. On her Facebook page, she documented her experience overcoming food shortages after entering the area directly affected by the war, following the Rapid Support Forces control.

Emtinan rolled up her sleeves, alongside her brothers, and decided to work according to a cultivated land policy rather than a scorched earth policy. The experience was a success by all standards after the time came to harvest the vegetables, which covered a significant portion of the nutritional value. She described it as a pleasant, beneficial, and productive experience, and one worthy of celebration.

She wrote, "The appearance of a single fruit from what we planted made us forget all the fatigue and suffering. Every flower carries a story and deserves to be told individually."

Regarding his experience, journalist and “Hala Radio” presenter Rami Muhakar told Citizens that he lost his job immediately after the outbreak of war in Khartoum, which, like many Sudanese, was his primary source of income.

He decided to move to Ad Duwaym and utilize his skills to earn a living there. He says, "When I moved to Ad Duwaym, my first source of income was producing audio advertisements for marginal workers in the market, followed by video production for some shop owners."

In Kosti, Rami had a brief experience entering the market, working with a friend selling mens underwear and sportswear. He also worked as a derdaga (cartwheeled transporter), although this was a short-lived endeavor.

Rami explains, "Moving from one city to another made it difficult to settle in the market, as did my limited experience and knowledge of the market. So I continued to create alternatives, such as producing videos with my mobile phone and voiceovers. Despite the limited income, these experiences were beneficial to me."

Declining Freedoms and the Information War
According to the monitoring and investigations of the Freedoms Secretariat team at the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, since the October 21, 2021 coup, there has been a significant decline in freedoms, and Sudan has become a hostile environment for journalism. However, the situation deteriorated significantly with the outbreak of the conflict, as repression against media professionals increased amidst the unstable conditions.

Sudanese journalists face a sea of challenges. As the war expands, local media outlets have failed to fulfill their role in providing accurate and impartial information. The voice of truth has been silenced, and the voices of deception and lies have risen.

The information war has raged with a ferocity paralleling the war on the ground. In the absence of reliable information, rumors and fake news have spread. This has further complicated the situation and increased the risk of misinformation, which threatens not only press freedom in Sudan but also the peoples right to access reliable information to make sound decisions.

Ongoing Violations
According to the Monitoring Unit, the total number of documented violations against journalists and media outlets since the outbreak of the conflict has reached 556. This report highlights 317 direct and documented violations. The remaining 239 violations involve the detention of journalists at their workplaces for varying periods at the beginning of the conflict, as well as the looting of journalists homes in Khartoum State during the first months of the war.

Journalists, both male and female, have been subjected to gunfire on the streets or in their workplaces, or to shelling in their homes, endangering their lives, claiming the lives of family members, and destroying and damaging their homes. The total number of victims of the shooting reached 34, including 11 female journalists.

Journalists are subjected to arrest without clear legal warrants, often because of their journalistic work or writing critically about the authorities, the Sudanese army, or the Rapid Support Forces. They are held in unknown locations, denied access to lawyers, arbitrarily interrogated, and subjected to violence, beatings, and torture. The total number of cases of disappearance, arrest, and detention is 73, including 12 female journalists.

It is worth noting that the war has destroyed media institutions and their infrastructure. Print newspapers have completely ceased publication for the first time in over 120 years, leaving approximately 90% of those working in the sector unemployed. The national radio station has also fallen silent, a first since its founding in 1940, before it recently resumed broadcasting.

Print press and printing presses remain absent, while hundreds of websites and digital platforms have emerged, most of which are based on individual efforts with limited financial resources.

Journalists inside the country also suffer from unstable telecommunications and internet services, sometimes blocked in conflict zones. This prevents them from carrying out their duties, hinders their access to facts and sources, and deprives citizens of information.