Sudan Media Forum: End Absurd Two-year War Against Civilians

15/04/2025 09:00

A child is assessed at a WFP-supported health centre in the Philippe neighbourhood in Port Sudan (Photo: © WFP / Abubakar Garelnabei)

To mark the second anniversary of the outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023, the Sudan Media Forum has released this joint statement to highlight the humanitarian catastrophe faced by millions of civilians. It laments the dire state of the Sudanese print and electronic media infrastructure, particularly journalists, who face extreme challenges and persecution in their efforts to provide independent reporting, and accurate, correct, and reliable news and information, and underscores the deliberate obstruction of access to food and medicine for millions of Sudanese trapped in conflict zones.

Warring parties

In its statement, the Sudan Media Forum appeals the warring parties and the international community to stop the war now. It urges Sudanese journalists to strongly and steadfastly adhere to the rules and values of independent professional journalism to combat the spread of rumours and media disinformation. and to strictly commit to professional standards and meticulous verification of information before publication.

Civil forces

Addressing Sudanese civil forces (political and societal), the Sudan Media Forum underscores that “media and press freedom must occupy a fundamental space in the activities and programs of political forces and civil society organizations, demanding its protection as a fundamental human right, not merely as an addendum to demands.

A photojournalist in a gas mask during protests (File photo: Alisdare Hickson / CC)

The cause of free and independent media must be adopted as a central issue concerning the future of democracy in Sudan and should top the agenda of civil action. It calls on political forces, civil society organizations, and emergency committees to immediately work on thinking about and planning for the post-war phase, and the requirements of “peace journalism,” and to work together to restore the democratic path for our country, as there is no democracy without a free press.

International community

The Sudan Media Forum urges the international community to activate UN Security Council Resolution 2724 (2024) of 8 March 2024, calling for an immediate halt to the war, to compel both parties to implement it without delay, establish effective mechanisms for monitoring it, and apply serious pressure on both parties to allow the entry of relief and aid without conditions to stop the famine and humanitarian catastrophe and facilitate unrestricted access of necessary supplies to those affected.