Militarization of the Media… Shocking testimonies reveal SAF’s violations against journalists
Journalists in Sudan are experiencing a multitude of difficulties in regards to covering the situation on the ground in areas controlled by the “Port Sudan forces.” They assert that they are being subjected to arrests, which promptly forced the majority of them to flee the country to East African countries.
Journalists believe that those who remain in the country are forced to adopt the Sudanese Armed Forces’ narrative regarding events on the ground, to protect their lives and out of fear of being arrested, given the tight security grip, the increasing number of armed militias, and the normalization of weapons’ possession. Some have even preferred to abandon their profession and pursue other fields.
A journalist working in Khartoum, who preferred to be anonymous, told (Erem News), “Journalism has become fraught with danger. Any attempt to cover events on the ground outside the official narrative could lead to arrest or threats to your family. Therefore, the majority of journalists are forced to substantially reduce their activities or emigrate outside the country.”
Militarization of the Media
For his part, an international correspondent confirmed to (Erem News) that the Port Sudan forces have become unbearably obstructive to his work. He emphasized that “even filming outside the office requires permission from the Foreign Media Office, and you must be accompanied by an army escort while moving around, which severely limits journalistic work and makes it difficult to cover events.”
International correspondents confirmed that their daily movements are subject to strict surveillance, with military personnel accompanying them everywhere. Any action outside these guidelines could lead to legal prosecution or arrest.
A foreign correspondent explained to (Erem News): “Sometimes, we obtain permission to film in a specific location, however, we are suddenly asked to leave, which makes coverage extremely difficult.”
Challenges… and Dual Pressures
Sudanese journalists who spoke to (Erem News) confirm that the “militarization” of the media under Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan has become a systematic policy aimed at transforming the media into a tool in the hands of his forces. They assert that this control is not merely limited to imposing the official narrative, but also extends to encompass deliberately preventing any coverage that exposes the violations committed by Port Sudan forces against innocent civilians, since these violations include -but aren’t limited to- extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate shelling and/or bombardment of residential areas, forced recruitment of children, sexual abuse, forced displacement, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Furthermore, journalists believe that the military forces intends to utilize this media blackout as a tool to deliberately mislead local as well as international public opinion and conceal the crimes they are committing. Hence, they aim to turn the official media into a cover for their war rather than a means of conveying the truth.
Field journalists shared that they face pressure from the Port Sudan forces on the one hand, and from the Brotherhood militias fighting alongside the Sudanese Army on the other hand, which makes realistic coverage an almost impossible task, according to them, promptly exacerbating the hegemony of the Sudanese Armed Forces’ narrative over the media landscape in consequence.
A media expert told (Erem News) that, given the security grip on traditional media personnel and the notable decline in freedoms, the only surviving aspect in regards to freedom of the press in the country is limited to the information reported on social media platforms. And even though the latter are being monitored, extensively, they remain the only outlet for reporting news from the field in a manner that is closer to the truth, as opposed to the approach imposed by the leadership in Port Sudan.
