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November 03, 2025 – Sudan –
The takeover of the North Darfur capital El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has exposed a severe deterioration in press freedom and journalist safety in Sudan. The takeover followed an 18-month siege and was accompanied by a communications blackout that has left many journalists unaccounted for.
Local rights groups reported that at least 13 journalists went missing during the RSF’s advance and capture of the city, with some female journalists reportedly subjected to rape. Survivors describe a broader pattern of violence against civilians, including the targeting of media workers, severely disrupting independent reporting from the region.
In a statement following the raid, the Sudanese government accused the RSF of committing war crimes in El Fasher, and said it would refuse to participate in peace negotiations so long as the United Arab Emirates remains involved, asking for the group to be designated a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, aid agencies and monitoring groups warn that the capture of El Fasher represents not only an immediate physical threat to civilians and journalists but also a strategic shift in how the RSF consolidates control over information and suppresses independent voices.
With a near-complete loss of verified reporting from inside the city, the international community is being urged to step up protections for journalists, secure evacuation routes, and track credibly reported cases of disappearance or assault. The journalistic community in Darfur fears the region’s last independent observers are either silenced or removed, which would leave vast areas of Sudan unreported and unaccountable.
In this context, the situation in El Fasher emerges as a critical test for global press-freedom defenders: it underscores how armed actors can exploit sieges, blackouts, and violent takeover to eliminate media oversight, leaving communities without trustworthy information and marking a deepening impunity crisis for attacks on journalists.
Reference –
As Sudan’s El-Fasher falls, the world loses sight of its journalists
