Armed soldiers with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) killed journalist Hanan Adam, a correspondent for local Sudanese Communist Party-affiliated newspaper al-Midan, and her brother, Youssef Adam, on December 8, 2024, at their home in the village of Wad Al-Asha in the east-central al-Gezira state, according to two journalists who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal, and the Sudanese Communist Party.
Since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF started in April 2023, at least six journalists have been killed, while many others have been arrested, assaulted, injured, and displaced. It is one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with some 12 million people displaced and several areas experiencing famine.
In a December 8 statement, the Sudanese Journalists’ Union condemned the killing of Adam and her brother, and said the RSF was responsible for their deaths.
In a December 30 statement, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — which monitors the killing of journalists and media workers globally — called for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Adam covered developmental issues in al-Gezira state for al-Midan and was a guest writer for the local independent newspaper al-Jazirah al-Youm, The local journalists that CPJ spoke with said that Adam’s killing was related to her work as a correspondent.
CPJ’s emails to the SAF and the RSF requesting comment on the death of Adam and her brother did not receive any replies.