Sudanese Journalists Struggle to Survive after Losing Jobs over the War
(AWP) - Sudanese journalists are experiencing hardship with most of them losing their jobs after the outbreak of war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seven months ago.
The condition of media professionals has significantly deteriorated following the closures of newspapers, satellite channels and radio stations, forcing some of them to find other jobs to make ends meet.
With the intensification of fighting and shelling between the two conflicting sides, journalists are staying home for fear of their lives.
Journalist Ahmed Jadin described the current condition of the profession as “significantly deteriorating,” which, he said, has forced many of his colleagues to work selling food or clothes to secure an income.
He explained, “The condition of the press and journalists in general is deteriorating significantly, particularly during the war. Most journalists have lost their jobs. The majority of newspapers have stopped due to the war.”
Jadin added, “They do not have any source of income and have found jobs selling food or clothes. They are going through a hard time, especially those in Khartoum who cannot go out under the shells, bombs and bullets. They can no longer leave their homes.”
Few journalists remain in Khartoum, with most of them displaced out of the capital city or leaving Sudan altogether to escape “violations” they said they have faced during their work covering the war, particularly in conflict zones.
Even those journalists who managed to leave Khartoum find it hard to get a job in safe areas, where they have problems getting movement permits and risk being harassed by security agencies.
Journalist Al-Siddiq Ali feels frustrated and has no hope of returning to his job because of the ongoing conflict.
He says, “Since the outbreak of war, journalists and media professionals have been living in tough circumstances. The war has impacted all segments of the population, but especially journalists and editors, who lost their jobs after all media outlets were closed – including websites, newspapers, radio stations and satellite channels. Now they lead a difficult life. So far, the situation is uncertain, and there is not much hope of returning to their jobs.”