Journalist Nasr Yaqoub narrowly escaped death after being shot by an officer from the Joint Force affiliated with the armed movements aligned with General al-Burhan’s army (SAF), local sources reported on Saturday.
The attack occurred in the busy market of the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced persons, where Yaqoub was working. He says the officer, identified as a captain, demanded he surrender his Starlink device, a critical tool for internet access in war-torn Darfur. When Yaqoub refused, the officer pulled out his pistol and fired at him in front of witnesses.
“If it weren’t for the grace of God, he would have succeeded in killing me,” Yaqoub said, adding that members of the Joint Force have increasingly used their authority to intimidate civilians and confiscate property without justification.
The use of Starlink devices—locally referred to as “Wi-Fi”—has surged in Darfur due to the collapse of conventional telecommunications amid the ongoing war. Operated mostly by civilians through small commercial outlets, these satellite-based internet services are now seen as both a lifeline and a liability.
Residents and shopkeepers allege that the Joint Force’s Intelligence Service routinely targets Starlink vendors, accusing them of violating security rules, while permitting its own members to use the same devices unchecked.
One shop owner, who spoke anonymously for fear of reprisal, accused SAF in El-Fasher of turning a blind eye to abuses. Since the shooting, internet service in the camp’s market has been completely cut off.
