The IPI global network today condemns the killing, on May 18, of freelance photojournalist Al-Shykh Al-Samany Saadaldyn by one of the warring factions of Sudan’s ongoing civil war. We call for an independent investigation into this killing and full accountability for this and all crimes against journalists reporting on the conflict.
“The killing of photojournalist Al-Shykh Al Samany Saadaldyn shows the extreme dangers reporters and media workers in Sudan face to bring the public news and information about this conflict.. The case must be investigated and those responsible must be held to account,” IPI Advocacy Director Amy Brouillette said. “All also urge all parties involved in the conflict to ensure the safety of journalists, as part of the protection of civilians, guaranteed under international humanitarian law”, she added.
Saadaldyn has been covering the ongoing war on his Facebook page, which has more than 20,000 followers. According to reports, he was killed by a Rapid Support Force (RSF) drone attack launched on a gathering organised by the soldiers of the Sudan Shield Forces in the Jabal Al-Abaytor area in the centre of Al-Batna. Several individuals of the Sudan Shield Forces were also killed in the attack.
The killing of Saadaldyn is the latest in a rising number of journalists who have been killed since the start of the conflict in April 2023. At least a dozen journalists and media workers have been killed during this time span, according to IPI monitoring, as the media faces attacks, harassment, and arrests.
In March, at least three journalists of the state-owned media were killed. Farouk al-Zahir, producer and director; Magdy Abdel Rahman, camera operator; Ibrahim Mudawi, the editor and director; and the crew’s driver, Wajeh Jaafar, were killed by an RSF drone attack in Khartoum while reporting on the takeover control of the capital city Khartoum by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
No one has yet been held accountable for these killings of journalists as the war continues to ravage the country.
Recently, IPI submitted a report in response to a call for input from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Hybrid Joint Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) and the AU Department of Peace, Security and Political Affairs (DPAPS) regarding human rights violations in Sudan. The submission urged the different stakeholders to uphold press freedom, and guarantee the safety of journalists and media workers as part of the protection of civilians for the critical role they play by providing the public with information in difficult conditions.