Press freedom in Sudan continues to crumble
The situation in Sudan is deteriorating by the day. In late October 2025, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the city of El Fasher in Darfur. The result: thousands of Sudanese civilians were massacred. Journalists, too, have become targets. Disinformation and propaganda dominate the information space, making independent reporting almost impossible. And the international community? It largely looks the other way.
The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF - once allies in Sudan’s final transitional government - began in 2023. Foreign powers with economic interests in Sudan’s gold sector, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Iran, have been accused of arming the warring factions, despite official denials. Such external support continues to fuel the violence and will ultimately shape the duration of the conflict. It is Sudanese civilians who pay the highest price. For journalists, this means working in an increasingly perilous media landscape.
Press freedom under siege: journalists are targeted
Amid the civil war, press freedom in Sudan is under unprecedented strain. Journalists are being arrested, intimidated or forced to flee. Media infrastructure has been destroyed, while internet and radio networks are frequently disrupted. The result is a vacuum in which disinformation and propaganda thrive, with devastating consequences. Since April 2023, more than 400 journalists have fled the country. Only a handful of independent media outlets continue to operate, most of them now working from exile. Those who remain face constant danger.
One telling example is the situation of journalists in El Fasher during and after the recent clashes in late October. Before the city fell to the RSF, around twenty journalists were active there and in the nearby Abu Shouk camp, according to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS). Of these, twelve managed to escape to the town of Tawila. Five others, including photojournalist Ibrahim Jibril Abkar and reporter Muammar Ibrahim, were arrested or abducted by the RSF. Four had already been detained earlier. Contact has been completely lost with seven journalists, including two women, whose whereabouts remain unknown. These cases highlight the grave risks journalists face, and how the blockage of media leaves the Sudanese public without access to reliable information.
Free Press Unlimited has witnessed this worsening situation first-hand through its emergency fund, Reporters Respond. Where we once received regular appeals for assistance in Sudan, we now hear almost nothing - a sign that journalists can no longer seek help, travel safely or even make contact. This silence is yet another measure of the extreme risks faced by Sudanese journalists.
Disinformation and propaganda take hold
The threats to press freedom in Sudan go far beyond arrests, disappearances and violence. The information war itself has become a key aspect. Both the SAF and the RSF are running vast, coordinated media campaigns designed to deceive and manipulate both domestic and international audiences. Through social media and traditional channels alike, both sides spread out a steady stream of misleading statements and doctored images.
Both factions also invest heavily in orchestrated disinformation. “Rogue agents” within the RSF and SAF exploit Meta’s complaint system, submitting false reports to have independent journalistic accounts suspended. Meanwhile, fake social media profiles circulate posts falsely claiming certain routes or areas are “safe”, luring civilians into zones controlled by armed groups or into deliberate ambushes.
Local media outlets have been seized and repurposed for propaganda, hate speech and targeted manipulation. In several regions, electricity supplies are deliberately cut and internet access shut down, making it virtually impossible for independent outlets to operate or for citizens to access trustworthy news.
These campaigns selectively twist facts, repeat the same narratives, and leave out vital details. The result is a media environment dominated by propaganda, where independent journalism is being suppressed by intimidation, censorship and violence.
Civilians left to their fate
These developments have further escalated the conflict: disinformation has inflamed ethnic and regional tensions across Sudan. The country is being pulled even deeper into chaos (SMF, 10 November 2025). The consequences for civilians are immediate and severe: people fleeing based on false information end up in dangerous areas; families are separated as communication networks collapse; and targeted ethnic propaganda fuels polarization, giving the war an increasingly racist dimension.
Independent media as a lifeline
In this context, the role of independent media in Sudan has become even more critical. That is why Free Press Unlimited supports the Sudan Media Forum (SMF) and other partners in their fight against disinformation and for reliable information access for citizens. Founded in February 2024, the SMF, of which the SJS is a member, is a collective of independent media and journalists focused on fact-checking, countering disinformation, and strengthening independent reporting. Amid the current crisis, where press freedom is under severe threat and access to information is heavily restricted, the SMF plays a vital role in ensuring that accurate news continues to reach Sudanese citizens.
The organisation is still young but growing. In its short existence, it has established an executive and editorial team producing news content and public campaigns, such as #StandWithSudan and #SilenceKills. Free Press Unlimited supports SMF’s work and maintains weekly coordination with the team
Radio Dabanga
Within this network of independent media, Radio Dabanga plays a crucial role as one of the few remaining sources of reliable information that still reaches people inside Sudan. Every day, the newsroom reports on politics, human rights, health, and the worsening humanitarian situation.
Broadcasting from a studio in Amsterdam, Radio Dabanga reaches millions of people in Darfur via shortwave radio, precisely because internet and mobile networks in large parts of Sudan are frequently shut down by both the army and the RSF. In refugee camps, groups of ten to twenty people often gather around a single radio to learn where food, water, or medical aid can still be found. For many Sudanese, Radio Dabanga has become a literal lifeline amid an escalating humanitarian disaster, especially around El Fasher.
The newsroom works under immense pressure: as funding declines, correspondents have left, and some continue their work unpaid. Still, Radio Dabanga broadcasts daily, because independent information in Sudan has almost entirely collapsed.
Free Press Unlimited hosted Radio Dabanga for many years at its Amsterdam office. Since 2021, the outlet has operated independently from its own location in the city.
Want to learn more about their work? Watch this EenVandaag segment (Dutch):
A humanitarian and journalistic crisis
Sudan faces both a humanitarian and a journalistic crisis. As violence and geopolitical power struggles devastate civilians and journalists alike, organisations such as SMF, SJU, and Radio Dabanga, together with Free Press Unlimited, stand as pillars of resilience and resistance.
Their work is essential to uncovering the truth, informing citizens, and protecting press freedom. Free Press Unlimited plays a connecting role by providing expertise, resources, and international visibility so that independent media and journalists in Sudan can continue their work safely and effectively.
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