A respected journalist and radio director killed in El Fasher amid escalating clashes between Sudanese forces and paramilitary groups, highlighting the dire human rights and press freedom crisis in the country.
Ahmed Mohamed Saleh Sayyidna, director of the radio sector at the North Darfur State Radio and Television Corporation, was killed on April 14, 2025, in a shelling attack on the city of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. The attack occurred amid clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate and a journalist familiar with the case who spoke to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) anonymously, Sayyidna was hit indiscriminately. It is not yet clear whether his professional role made him a specific target.
Beyond his role at the state radio, Sayyidna had decades of experience in cultural and theatrical activities in El Fasher since the 1990s. He was the creator of the radio series Rakoubat Abba Saleh, broadcast on UNAMID radio, supported by the United Nations.
Sara Qudah, regional director of CPJ, expressed deep sorrow over his death, describing him as a respected figure who had served the community for decades. She called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances of the attack and concrete measures to protect journalists in conflict zones.
CPJ is investigating whether Sayyidna was actively performing journalistic work at the time of the attack and whether his death was connected to his profession. Since the start of the conflict in April 2023, at least eight journalists have been killed in Sudan, six of whom were confirmed to have been targeted due to their work.
In recent years, the human rights situation in Sudan has deteriorated drastically. The country is facing one of the world’s largest internal displacement crises, with over 10 million people forced to leave their homes and millions fleeing to neighboring countries. Extrajudicial executions, targeted attacks on civilians, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and widespread sexual violence have been documented. Essential healthcare facilities, schools, and water infrastructure have collapsed, worsening malnutrition, epidemics, and mortality rates among women and children. Humanitarian aid remains severely insufficient, with only a fraction of the funding needed for sexual health, protection from gender-based violence, and other emergency interventions actually received.
