Journalists are being killed, detained, exiled, and silenced in war zones across the world, and Sudan is one of the most extreme cases. Since April 2023, the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has turned journalism into a life-threatening act. In El-Fasher, reporters are starving, working without electricity or internet, and facing drone strikes, torture, and sexual violence. With the recent killing of journalist Alnor Suleiman Alnor on October 4, at least 14 journalists have been killed, 17 detained, 2 disappeared, more than 400 forced into exile.
The same pattern is visible in Palestine. Since October 2023, over 200 Palestinian journalists have been killed by Israeli forces, making it the deadliest period for journalists in modern history. In Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan, journalists have been imprisoned or murdered. Across conflicts, journalists are denied access, and targeted precisely because they expose war crimes.
The targeting of journalists is deliberate. Silencing the press allows warring parties to rewrite history in real time. Journalism is a form of protection. To defend journalists is to defend the public’s right to know. In war, silence is a weapon.
