The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Wednesday called for the immediate and unconditional release of the Sudanese freelance journalist Omar Mohamed Omar. The journalist was arrested on July 17 after criticizing the governor of Sudan’s North Kordofan state on Facebook.

Omar criticized the governor over the lack of services and the worsening water crisis during the civil war, which started in April 2023. The National Intelligence and Security Service in North Kordofan arrested Omar without any legal justification, constituting a violation of human rights charters, according to the Sudanese Journalists Network. The network condemned the decision to arrest Omar because it suppresses the freedom of opinion and expression as well as violates the right to privacy.

On April 15, 2023, fighting started between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In 2021, the two forces overthrew Sudan’s civil administration together, while they still had a common interest. However, with the overthrowing of the administration, their interests changed, as they were both competing for power in Sudan.

The civil war has also resulted in diverse challenges for journalists trying to cover the news in Sudan, as they have been killed, unlawfully detained, injured and harassed. CPJ has stated that the arrest of journalists because of their work during a war is an indication that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) is attempting to prevent coverage of the war.  Since the beginning of 2024, three journalists have been killed. Foreign news channels have also been banned by the Sudanese government and female journalists have suffered from gender-based violence at the hands of the RSF.