The Sudanese Journalists Network (SJN) has raised an alarm over the continued detention of Abdelrahman Warab, a journalist with Sudan News Agency (SUNA), by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), marking the sixth consecutive month of his imprisonment.
In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, the network decried the RSF’s “arbitrary and illegal” arrest of Warab last June, emphasizing the absence of any legal grounds for his detention. According to the SJN, Warab’s family has been unable to establish contact with him or ascertain his whereabouts.
Expressing grave apprehension about the possibility of torture, SJN suggested that Warab’s case could amount to an enforced disappearance, given the RSF’s failure to disclose his location. The network condemned the withholding of crucial information, hindering his family from visiting, assessing his well-being, understanding the grounds for his arrest, and facilitating access to medical care—deeming it a clear violation of international humanitarian law that mandates the protection of civilians in times of conflict.
The network further asserted that Warab’s arrest is indicative of a pattern of systematic violations committed by the RSF against journalists and civilians. It called for an end to the targeting of journalists, demanded the RSF to reveal Warab’s whereabouts, and urged for his “immediate and unconditional release, alongside that of all detainees”.
The statement drew attention to a report by Reuters in July, revealing that the RSF is holding over 5,000 individuals in dire conditions in Khartoum, including 3,500 civilians, among whom are women and foreign nationals.
Since the eruption of hostilities between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF, journalists in Sudan have been subjected to assaults, threats, enforced disappearances, and detentions by both Military Intelligence and the RSF.
Dozens of human rights violations against journalists and other media personnel have been documented in Sudan since April 15, with numerous newspapers and radio stations being forced to shutter due to the conflict and repression.
Collaborating with 17 other news organizations, Radio Dabanga issued a collective plea in mid-August to address the precarious state of press freedom in Sudan.
In October, the SJS highlighted the unprecedented targeting of the press and media in Sudan since the October 2021 coup.
During the same period, online news outlet Sudan Bukra and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged the Sudanese authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the death of journalist Halima Idris, who was fatally struck by an RSF vehicle while reporting for the media outlet.
Prior to April 15, Sudan was already ranked 148 out of 180 in the 2023 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index and 29 out of 100 (i.e., ‘Not Free’) in Freedom House’s Internet Freedom Index.
