Two journalists shot by snipers in Khartoum

Khartoum – June 19, 2023

The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemned the shooting of journalists Osama Sayed Ahmed and Ahmed El Buseili, who work for Al Jazeera news channel, by snipers on El Sitteen Street in Khartoum on Friday.

There is not much information about the condition of the journalists after the shooting.

The relatively young independent syndicate “condemns this criminal act” and holds the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fully responsible for the shooting, as the incident occurred in an area controlled by these forces.

In a statement on Saturday, the SJS reminded both warring parties that they need to adhere to international laws and conventions that guarantee the protection of journalists and condemn deliberate attacks against journalists in accordance with Resolution 1738 of the UN Security Council.

The SJS also called on all media institutions to protect their journalists by providing them with professional safety tools and balancing the importance of obtaining information with the importance of the journalist’s safety.

They must ensure “that the journalist [themselves] does not turn into news”.

Violations

When fighting broke out on April 15, a BBC journalist was attacked and beaten in Khartoum whilst a correspondent and cameramen for the El Sharg news outlet were detained for hours near Merowe airport in Northern State.

Since then, dozens more violations against journalists and other press workers have been reported in Sudan. In the second half of May only, more than 40 violations were documented, including enforced disappearances and raids.

Most of the media outlets, especially paper newspapers and radio stations, were forced to stop working completely in Khartoum and other cities due to the fighting and repression.

Radio Dabanga reported last week that journalists in El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, are facing the biggest threat. “Journalists are subjected to death threats if they continue to monitor the truth and some of them have been illegally detained.”