Alrayah Isam Gaksa, a Sudanese freelance journalist for Hekaiyat and Baankhi Press, was detained on August 2, 2026, in Sudan's east-central Al-Jazirah state, according to a statement by the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate (SJS). Gaksa was taken by the Sudan Shield Forces, an armed group allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
Gaksa was traveling back from a reporting assignment at Al-Jazirah University in the town of Al-Hasahisa when armed fighters stopped his car, forcibly removed him from the vehicle, and took him to an undisclosed location. As of August 4, his location remained unknown, according to SJS as well as a local journalist following the case who spoke with CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.
The SJS condemned the arrest as arbitrary and held the Sudan Shield Forces responsible for Gaksa's safety, calling for the immediate disclosure of his whereabouts and his unconditional release.
CPJ’s email to the Sudanese Armed Forces requesting comment did not receive a reply.