2024 World Press Freedom Index quantifies threat to media in Sudan
Map: Reporters Without Borders
Press freedom in Sudan remains in “a very serious situation” according to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, published annually by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders advocacy organisation, who lament that “press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities”.
As World Press Freedom Day was observed globally on May 3, and the devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) enters its second year, Sudan’s rating on the 2024 World Press Freedom Index clearly corroborates the lamentations of Sudanese media organisations, including the Sudan Media Forum, and the allied Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, that journalism and media in Sudan are under severe and constant threat from all quarters.
‘Press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities…’
From a global perspective, Reporters Without Borders lament that “press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors – political authorities… This finding is based on the fact that, of the five indicators used to compile the ranking, it is the political indicator that has fallen most, registering a global average fall of 7.6 points.”
“A growing number of governments and political authorities are not fulfilling their role as guarantors of the best possible environment for journalism and for the public’s right to reliable, independent, and diverse news and information.” Reporters Without Borders says it sees “a worrying decline in support and respect for media autonomy and an increase in pressure from the state or other political actors”.
The colour-coded map that accompanies the ratings show that press freedom in Sudan is in a “very serious situation”.
‘This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation…’
Reporters Without Borders editorial director Anne Bocandé points out “a worrying trend revealed by the 2024 World Press Freedom Index: a decline in the political indicator… States and other political forces are playing a decreasing role in protecting press freedom. This disempowerment sometimes goes hand in hand with more hostile actions that undermine the role of journalists, or even instrumentalise the media through campaigns of harassment or disinformation.”
Out of a total of 180 countries rated, with Sudan’s neighbour Eritrea in the dubious position of last place, Sudan ranks 149, behind several regional neighbours, including Somalia (145), Libya (143), Ethiopia (141), but ahead of Egypt (170). Sudan’s ranking shows little change from the 2023 index, when it was rated 148. It shows a slight ‘improvement’ from its rating of 151 in 2022 following the military coup d’état of October 25, 2021, and 159 in 2021.
As previously reported by Radio Dabanga, Sudanese journalists are trapped in a brutal, year-long conflict with no ceasefire in sight. Despite local, regional, and international efforts, entrenched positions by the military and Rapid Support Forces prolong the suffering and threaten a full-blown humanitarian crisis, as repeatedly warned, a joint statement by the Sudan Media Forum to coordinate with World Press Freedom Day 2024 says.
“The press has become a target. Journalists, both men and women, face systematic violence – killings, destruction of media houses, censorship, and illegal occupations. This ‘media blackout’ prevents them from reporting, informing the public, and upholding press freedom.
“The conflict has fractured Sudan, leaving it vulnerable. Both sides wage a “war on media,” spreading propaganda and misinformation to manipulate public opinion. Communication networks are disrupted, further isolating citizens, and hindering their ability to access information and aid,” the Sudan Media Forum laments.
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