New York, May 6, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an investigation into the May 2 killing of Sudanese journalist Hassan Fadl Al-Mawla Mousa, who was shot dead as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took control of the desert town of Al-Nuhud in the south-central province of West Kordofan.
Fadl Al-Mawla was a well-known local journalist who may have been deliberately killed by the RSF as the group routinely targets prominent media and political figures when seizing new areas, two journalists familiar with the case told CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.
“We are shocked by the killing of Hassan Fadl Al-Mawla, a dedicated journalist who gave his life to report from the ground in Sudan’s civil war,” said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Those responsible for Al-Mawla’s death must be held to account and journalists must be respected as they document this brutal conflict.”
Fadl Al-Mawla was a presenter at West Kordofan Radio, and a correspondent for the state-owned Sudan National Radio Corporation and independent Beladi 96.6 FM, according to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate and the journalist who spoke to CPJ.
The journalists’ union condemned Fadl Al-Mawla’s killing as “a grave violation against journalists who continue to serve their communities amid the dangers of war,” and praised Fadl Al-Mawla’s professionalism and dedication to public service journalism, before he was “killed by the bullets” of the RSF.
Fadl Al-Mawla and eight other journalists have been killed since war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF in April 2023.
CPJ’s email to the RSF seeking comment on Fadl Al-Mawla’s death did not receive a response.
Editor’s note: This text has been updated to correct a typo in the headline, add a second source to the second paragraph, and detail to the fifth paragraph.