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January 16, 2026 – Sudan –
A report by the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) has revealed that at least 14 journalists and media workers were killed in Sudan during 2025, part of a broader pattern of systematic attacks and violations against the press amid the ongoing civil war that began in April 2023. The syndicate’s 2025 press freedom report, released on January 14, 2026, documented these deaths alongside a range of other abuses that imperil journalists’ safety and the public’s right to information.
According to the SJS findings, paramilitary forces, notably the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), were responsible for the majority of the killings, with twelve journalists killed by RSF actions. One journalist died after suffering health complications attributed to torture while detained by Sudan’s Military Intelligence. These fatalities occurred in a context marked by intense combat, bombardment, and systemic targeting of media professionals covering the conflict.
Beyond fatalities, the SJS documented 67 press freedom violations in 2025, including arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, threats, hate speech, smear campaigns, and institutional harassment such as procedural restrictions and interference with union activities. Journalists operating in refugee or exile settings, particularly in Egypt and Libya, also faced harassment, underscoring the transnational nature of risks confronting Sudanese media workers.
The report highlighted El Fasher in North Darfur as among the most dangerous areas for journalists last year. After RSF forces captured the city in October 2025, at least four journalists were killed, and several others went missing, including Taj El Seir Ahmed Suleiman, the director of the Sudan News Agency in El Fasher, who was reportedly killed in his own home.
The SJS called on all parties to the conflict to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect journalists as civilians. It also urged the immediate release of journalists arbitrarily detained and for authorities to disclose the fate of those who have disappeared. In addition, the syndicate condemned the increasing use of the judiciary to pursue politically motivated charges against independent media professionals, a trend that further erodes press freedom in Sudan.
Sudan’s press freedom environment has sharply deteriorated since the civil war began, with the country descending further in global press freedom rankings. These developments reflect a climate of impunity and escalating threats that compromise both the safety of journalists and access to independent information for Sudanese citizens.
Reference –
SJS: 14 Sudanese journalists murdered, 67 press freedom violations in 2025
