Farouk al-Zahir, a producer and director for state-owned Sudan TV, was killed on March 21, 2025, in a drone strike carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) while covering fighting at the Republican Palace in central Khartoum.
Al-Zahir was part of a four-person media team documenting the Sudanese Armed Forces’ (SAF) takeover of the site palace. He was killed instantly in the strike, which also killed two of his colleagues, Ibrahim Mudawi, an editor and director, and Magdy Abdel Rahman, a camera operator, as well as their driver, Wajeh Jaafar.
CPJ was unable to determine further details about al-Zahir’s killing. Two local journalists told CPJ on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal, that the crew was likely targeted by the RSF due to their affiliation with state media.
CPJ’s email to the RSF about al-Zahir’s death did not receive a reply.