Sudan Journalists Syndicate Says War Killed 34 Journalists, Documented 680 Violations

Journalists and intellectuals in Sudan have turned to digital alternatives after the near-total collapse of traditional journalistic and media institutions, as the war entered its fourth year and strict restrictions were imposed by both sides of the conflict on media workers.

“The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate says it has provided social support to more than 1,000 journalists during the period from November 2022 to the first quarter of 2026, in light of the unprecedented challenges faced by workers in the media and union sectors as a result of the continued war in Sudan”

Dabanga Radio TV Online

Radio host and content creator Mahasen Ahmed, who arrived in Kampala after the outbreak of the war in Sudan, said she returned to her radio experience and began managing digital platforms before joining photography training workshops at ARTLAB and the Goethe-Institute.

Dabanga Radio TV Online

Ayin Network reported that the Sudanese Journalists’ Syndicate said in a statement on World Press Freedom Day that the war in Sudan has claimed the lives of 34 journalists, including 5 women, while the union documented 680 violations against journalists and media workers.

Mahasen told Ain that attempting to produce neutral content in a polarized war context places the content maker in a gray area, where they can be accused of bias toward any side, even when adopting a pro-peace stance.

Media professional Fath al-Rahman Bashir said the move to digital content is a necessity forced by the April 15 war, and he warned that it has created real challenges including a credibility crisis, engagement pressure, and the ongoing need to produce engaging content in a highly competitive environment.

UNESCO announced on Thursday that the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate has won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for 2026, recognizing its role in exposing grave violations against journalists and media workers amid the ongoing war in Sudan.

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Anani said members of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate showed extraordinary courage and steadfast dedication, and he added that the severe challenges did not deter them from diligently working to provide accurate and life-saving information to their local communities.

UNESCO

At a ceremony held on Monday at UNESCO’s headquarters in Paris, UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Prize for Freedom of the Press for 2026 was accepted on behalf of the Syndicate’s Executive Committee by journalists Muhammad Hariqa and Naba Al-Madani in the presence of El-Anani.

UNESCO said that since the outbreak of the war in 2023, 32 journalists have been killed, along with 556 violations against journalists and media, and it pointed to the suspension of many newspapers and radio stations.

In a post on the union’s official Facebook page, Abdulmonem Abu Idris said the win sends a message to the Sudanese public that there is serious, responsible journalism capable of conveying the truth and defending the people's rights.

Beyond recognition, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate said it has provided social support to more than 1,000 journalists during the period from November 2022 to the first quarter of 2026, with Walid El Nour explaining that 30 per cent of aid was allocated to support female journalists and 20 per cent as health support.

“Saturday, 1,314 journalists, in the country as well as in the diaspora, elected Abdel Moneim Abou Idriss, 56, AFP's correspondent in Khartoum, to head a 39-member bureau”

VOA Afrique

El Nour said the timeline of beneficiaries began immediately after the union elections in 2022 with 23 journalists benefiting, then 200 in 2023, 400 in 2024, 300 in 2025, and 87 journalists during the first quarter of this year, bringing the total number to 1010 journalists by the first quarter of 2026.

In parallel, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate issued a statement after colleague journalist Dorra Qimbo was expelled from Egyptian territory following her arrival at Cairo International Airport, saying she was placed on the no-entry list and repatriated without being given the opportunity to complete formal procedures.

The union said Dorra Qimbo was detained inside the airport lounges for more than twelve hours, deprived of her mobile phone and passport, before being deported under security guard to the Qatari capital, Doha.

UNESCO described Sudan as a 'silence zone' for media in large parts of the country, citing widespread communications outages and an increase in misinformation and war-related propaganda, and it said the infrastructure of the Sudanese media sector has been destroyed by up to 90%.