Kampala, August 01 (Darfur24)
Reporters Without Borders has condemned an online campaign of harassment and death threats targeting Darfur24 journalists, warning that calls for violence against the independent news outlet constitute an unacceptable attempt to silence the press amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
The campaign, which emerged in recent days, was coordinated through social media platforms affiliated with supporters of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) faction led by Abdul Wahid Mohamed Nur. It included incitement to violence and calls for the killing of Darfur24 journalists.
The threats come as Darfur24 continues to report on political, security, and humanitarian developments across the Darfur region, where both armed groups maintain influence and control over parts of the territory.
In a statement posted on X on Thursday, Reporters Without Borders said the threats represented “an unacceptable attempt at intimidation targeting a media outlet that continues to perform its news mission professionally in service of the public interest, despite the extremely dangerous conditions surrounding journalistic work in Darfur.”
The organization urged respect for press freedom and the safety of journalists working under increasingly hazardous conditions in Sudan.
The campaign has also drawn strong condemnation from Sudanese media and human rights organizations. The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate expressed solidarity with Darfur24, describing the threats as a dangerous escalation against independent journalism.
The syndicate warned that death threats issued in the context of an armed conflict, widespread proliferation of weapons, and increasing hate speech create an environment in which attacks against journalists can be carried out with impunity.
“It is unacceptable for the journalism profession to be held hostage to this chaos,” the syndicate said, calling on all parties to respect the safety and independence of media workers.
According to the syndicate, at least 34 journalists have been killed since the war erupted in Sudan in April 2023. It has also documented dozens of cases of arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance, physical assault, and threats against journalists covering the conflict.
Media rights groups have repeatedly warned that Sudan has become one of the world’s most dangerous environments for journalists, with reporters facing intimidation, censorship, arbitrary detention, and attacks from multiple parties to the conflict while attempting to document events on the ground.