Thousands of pro-democracy protesters take to the streets to condemn a takeover by military officials in Khartoum, Sudan, Monday, October 25, 2021. (AP Photo/Ashraf Idris)

CPJ calls on Sudanese military to respect press freedom and journalists’ safety as coup unfolds

New York, October 25, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is watching the press freedom environment in Sudan with grave concern as it works to get independent confirmation of news reports of military raids on media outlets and internet and telecommunications outages after the country’s military seized power in a coup earlier today. The local Sudan Journalists Network has documented the arrests of several journalists on Facebook, which CPJ is also working to confirm.

“Sudanese military forces must respect freedom of the press and journalist safety,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Senior Researcher Justin Shilad. “At a critical moment in the country’s history, journalists must be free to report the news and have full access to telecommunications services to do it.”

As the coup unfolded, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was detained by security forces, and Sudan’s military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the Sovereign Council, Sudan’s transitional government composed of civilian and military members, and declared a nationwide state of emergency, sparking demonstrations.