Sudan has dropped to 161st out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index, as the country’s war continues to devastate the media landscape and expose journalists to arrest, violence, and intimidation.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which published the index, said global press freedom had fallen to its lowest level in 25 years, with conflict, political pressure, economic collapse, and laws used against journalists driving the decline.
Sudan fell seven places from last year, with RSF saying journalists and media workers continue to face arrests and restrictions. The watchdog said two journalists and one media employee remained detained when the report was released.
Radio Dabanga reported that the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate documented 110 violations against media workers over the past year, and more than 500 violations since the war erupted in April 2023.
UNESCO also warned this week that Sudan’s conflict has severely disrupted news gathering, saying about 90% of the country’s media infrastructure has been destroyed. It said journalists have faced threats, arrests, street violence, internet shutdowns, and telecommunications blackouts.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said in March that three female journalists from Nyala Radio had been detained by the RSF in Darfur, urging their immediate release and warning that such arrests further restrict the flow of information from an already underreported war.
