No One Else Will: Sudan's Journalists Risk All to Report the War
Among Sudan's brutal civil war, reporters are not just witnesses, they are victims as well. Ever since war erupted between rival factions in 2023, the situation for reporting and obtaining credible information has disintegrated disastrously. However, amidst violence and chaos, many Sudanese journalists continue to risk their lives to make the world aware of what is happening.
The war has decimated Sudan's media industry. Almost all media infrastructure has been destroyed or rendered redundant, and few journalists are still in a position to report from the ground. Thousands have been displaced; some have escaped into foreign countries while others are in hiding. Much of the country has been cut off from internet and communications, so journalists often report blind, not being able to verify incidents or even reach their colleagues.
Journalists are not just caught in the crossfire — they are also deliberately targeted. Over the past year, hundreds of them have been killed, jailed, tortured, or forcibly disappeared. Those still on the job do so under daily threat from both sides of the principal protagonists in the conflict, who view independent reporting as a challenge to their power. Journalists are regularly accused of spying or being on the side of the enemy, and many are savagely punished for doing their job.
Women journalists, in particular, are subjected to additional dangers, including sexual violence and deliberate harassment. Some have even been kidnapped, tortured, and threatened with their families being killed. These horrifying incidents have caused many women journalists to leave the profession altogether or operate under total secrecy.
Foreign journalists are not exempted either. Several foreign correspondents who attempted to cover the humanitarian crisis have been arrested, interrogated, and charged with spying. Access to conflict zones is highly restricted, and those who manage to gain entry risk kidnapping or death.
Despite the perilous risks, a small, dedicated group of Sudanese journalists perseveres. With little or no resources, no pay, and under threat of arrest or worse, they employ expensive and risky methods of communication, such as satellite connections, and at times turn to clandestine sources to release stories anonymously. For these journalists, the necessity is clear: if they do not report the truth, no one else will.
The threats have promoted an environment where disinformation is rampant. The two sides to the conflict have intense wars of propaganda, flooding social media and local networks with false accounts. It is in this context that the remaining independent voices play a critical role in countering false information and reporting abuses of human rights.
The collapse of Sudan's media is not just a national tragedy; it's a global problem. If there are no reporters on the ground, the world could lose sight of a horrific war that continues to displace, maim, and kill hundreds of thousands of civilians. The international community must understand that protecting journalists in Sudan is crucial to ensuring transparency, accountability, and ultimately, peace.
Those who continue to report do so at great personal cost. They are compelled by a deep sense of duty — to their people, to history, and to the truth. Their courage is a sobering reminder that in wartime, covering the story can be as dangerous as fighting the war itself.
Journalism in Sudan today is a survival, a resistance, and a labour of hope. It is because of the diligent efforts of these journalists that the world comes to know even a fraction of the truth. They know the risks. They report nonetheless — because if they don't, no one else will.
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