Sudan’s 3 years of war, impunity, and the silencing of the press

New York, April 15 — As Sudan’s war marks its third anniversary, on April 15, 2026, fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has turned the country into one of the world’s most dangerous and deadliest environments for the press, where reporting the truth comes with the constant risk of imprisonment, disappearance, or death.

Despite these risks, Sudanese journalists remain the primary source of information about abuses committed by both the SAF and RSF. They are continuously targeted by both parties for reporting on their atrocities while working under siege, displacement, and constant threat. Yet these abuses continue with near-total impunity, even when publicly documented.

Over the past three years, attacks on the press have intensified and evolved to including killings, enforced disappearances, arrests, and gender-based violence. Escalating violations —  such as the RSF’s weaponization of hunger and sexual assault, as well as the SAF’s increasing use of arrests and legal harassment— have further shrunk the already collapsing space for independent journalism

“As Sudan’s war enters its third year, most media institutions have shut down and journalists have been forced into exile, displacement, detention, or enforced disappearance,” said Raghdan Orsud, cofounder of independent local news platform Beam Reports. “Press freedom is at its lowest point. Yet those in power fear words more than bullets, and Sudanese journalists continue to risk their lives to document a population that simply deserves to live.”

Killings of journalists

Sudan has become one of the most dangerous countries for journalists since the outbreak of the war, with at least 16 journalists and media workers killed. Many were killed in their homes, as they fled violence, or while reporting on unfolding events. CPJ has documented that most were killed by RSF forces, including the increasing use of drones, which have killed at least five journalists. 

The lack of accountability has deepened the crisis, which allows perpetrators to act without consequences. This climate of impunity sends a clear message: reporting on the war can be a death sentence.

Enforced disappearances

Enforced disappearances have emerged as one of the most alarming trends, particularly in RSF-controlled areas. As of mid-April 2026, there are at least seven journalists missing in Sudan, according to CPJ’s data. Many have been kidnapped, detained, or have disappeared during key moments of the war, such as the fall of North Darfur’s El Fasher in October 2025. At that time, CPJ had received reports of at least 13 journalists reported missing while attempting to flee the siege.

Among them is Muammar Ibrahim, a freelance journalist and contributor to Al Jazeera, last seen in RSF custody after attempting to flee the besieged city in October 2025. Similarly, three female journalists, Mawaheb Ibrahim, Zahraa Mohammed al-Hassan, and Ishraqah Abdulrahman, have not been heard from since being detained in South Darfur’s Nyala in February. Their cases underscore a broader pattern in which journalists are held without contact for months, with families denied information about their fate or whereabouts.

Arrests and legal intimidation by SAF

While RSF abuses have increased, SAF-controlled areas have also seen a rise in arrests and legal harassment of journalists. Journalists have been detained while reporting, accused of collaborating with opposing forces, or for impersonating a journalist. The cases of journalists Hajar Sulaiman, and Miyahelnil Elmubarak, both briefly detained in March 2026, as well as several other journalists held for shorter periods since April 2023, highlight an ongoing pattern of the way SAF targets journalists, as they faced prosecution in connection to their reporting on corruption within the Sudanese authorities’ prosecutor’s officer,  Sulaiman, and for covering middle school exams, Elmubarak.

Most recently, in April 2026, the Ministry of Information suspended independent news platform Sudania 24, over alleged legal violation, further shrinking the space for independent reporting. The use of legal mechanisms to silence journalists reflects a broader effort of censoring and controlling narratives around the war, limiting what can be reported, and shaping public perception through legal intimidation and detentions.

Sexual violence against female journalists

Gender-based violence and assault have been used by the RSF as a weapon of war in Sudan, where women, including journalists, are particularly vulnerable. Female reporters have faced harassment, rape, and threats while carrying out their work, especially in areas under RSF control where protection and accountability are almost nonexistent. 

These abuses not only endanger individual journalists, but also deter female journalists from reporting, further eroding diversity and representation in war coverage.

Hunger, siege, and blackout of information

Hunger has been used as a weapon of war, particularly in places under RSF control, notably in besieged areas like El Fasher. The prolonged siege, lasting over a year before the city’s capture in October 2025, restricted access to food, water, and medical supplies, placing civilians under extreme deprivation. Even after its fall, RSF forces have continued to impose movement restrictions and control supply routes across areas under their influence, leading to famine conditions being confirmed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), and UNICEF,  in El Fasher and now Kadugli in South Darfur.

At the same time, the siege functions as a blockade on information. Communications blackouts, restricted movement, and the targeting or displacement of journalists made independent reporting from El Fasher nearly impossible.

Lack of accountability

The continued documentation of serious human rights violations against journalists in Sudan points to a near-total absence of accountability. CPJ emailed the SAF and contacted the RSF for comment through its website but received no response. 

“Without urgent and coordinated action, journalists will continue to be silenced and the war will remain underreported, allowing further atrocities to be committed far from accountability,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “CPJ calls on both the SAF and RSF to immediately end attacks, arbitrary detention, and harassment of journalists, and urges all parties to ensure that the press can report freely and safely without fear of reprisal.” 

The RSF should provide proof of life for Muammar Ibrahim and all journalists in their custody. The international community must strive for accountability and support independent investigations into alleged violations.