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July 24, 2024 (EL-OBEID) – The arrest of freelance journalist Omer Mohamed Omer by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) General Intelligence Directorate on July 17 highlights the growing dangers journalists face in the war-torn country.
Omar, also known as Wade Abukar, was arrested at his home in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, according to the Sudanese Journalists Network, a local press freedom group, and a local journalist who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The arrest came after Omar publicly criticized the governor of North Kordofan on his personal Facebook page, stressing the deteriorating state services and the growing water crisis during the civil war that began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Journalists in Sudan have faced increasing risks since the outbreak of the civil war, including killings, arrests, harassment and sexual assault.
The Sudanese Journalists Network condemned the arrests, calling them a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law. A spokesman for the network said: “The arrests are a blatant attempt to stifle freedom of expression and prevent the public from knowing the truth about the war.”
In addition, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Sudanese authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. “We are alarmed by reports that military intelligence arrested journalist Omer Mohamed Omer last week,” said Yeganeh Rezaian, CPJ’s interim MENA program coordinator, in Washington, D.C.
(English stone)
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