El Fasher, October 27 (Darfur 24)
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrested journalist Muammar Ibrahim in El Fasher on Sunday evening, shortly after the group announced full control of the city following months of siege and fighting with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
A video posted on social media showed Ibrahim, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, in El Fasher, surrounded by RSF members. In the clip, he identified himself and confirmed that he was detained while attempting to leave the city after RSF fighters entered it.
The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate has expressed deep concern over the arrest and called for Ibrahim’s safety and unconditional release.
“Following the Rapid Support Forces’ capture of the headquarters of the 6th Infantry Division in El Fasher, they arrested journalist and syndicate member Muammar Ibrahim. The syndicate holds the RSF fully responsible for his safety and demands his immediate release,” the statement reads in part.
The statement also warned of the deteriorating situation in El Fasher and the disruption of satellite communication networks, the only operational systems in North Darfur, which has led to a near-total media blackout in the city.
The syndicate further voiced concern for the safety of journalists working under such exceptional and dangerous conditions and urged all organizations involved in press freedom and journalist protection to intervene urgently to ensure their safety.
Muammar Ibrahim, who works for Al Jazeera, is one of the most prominent journalists covering developments in El Fasher, providing daily reports on humanitarian and field conditions throughout the conflict.
Reports indicate that several journalists have been killed in El Fasher in recent months due to artillery shelling and street fighting. This arrest marks a new and alarming chapter in the targeting of journalists and media workers in conflict zones.