Journalists in Sudan face threats, raids and other human right abuses
Good morning Deep Dives platform! It's a beautiful day to share with you news from Sudan and how the Sudanese government and military are fighting, arresting and humiliating journalists who write about the ongoing conflict in the country. Stay tuned as we unleash the full details of the report.
It isn't a debatable issue whether the job of a journalist is dangerous or not. Journalist who wants to speak and write about the truth about governments illegal activities are usually hunted by governments. The Sudanese journalists are also facing such attacks.
The Sudanese government have published a list of journalists that they believe aren't supporting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and tagged them as betrayers.
When Mohi el-deen Jibril checked his phone on May 11, he saw his name on a list of people accused of betraying the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Instantly, he thought of leaving his war-torn country.
“Seven journalists appeared on the list, but I was the only one still in Sudan,” Jibril, 48, told Al Jazeera. “I have since received threats from many people. Two [wrote to me on WhatsApp] and said that after the army kills the RSF, they will come for me next.”
Since fighting erupted in Sudan between the army and the RSF last month, supporters from both sides have threatened journalists for criticising human rights violations by both sides, according to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate.
A quite number of journalists have been threatened or told that they would be killed if they don't stop reporting in a manner that is derogatory to the government. This is insanity and should be stopped by the international community before it leads to incessant deaths of innocent journalists who are trying to carry on with reporting about .
Why will journalists stop reporting issues of human right violations that are committed by the military who are agents of the current military administration.
Many others have appeared on lists circulating on social media, where those mentioned are accused of betraying Sudan in an apparent effort to incite violence against them. The list that Jibril was on was shared in a private WhatsApp group for Sudanese journalists, but he later discovered it on Facebook, too.
As a veteran television reporter, Jibril has been critical of the army for derailing popular aspirations for democracy by spearheading a coup in October 2021. Now, he fears he could be killed.