قوات درع السودان تعتقل صحفيًا بولاية الجزيرة

• On August 3, 2026, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate confirmed the arrest of journalist Al-Reeh Essam Jiksa.
• He was detained by a unit of the Sudan Shield Forces at the entrance to Wad Madani city in Al Jazirah State while returning from a reporting assignment.
• Al-Reeh Essam was forcibly removed from his vehicle and taken to an unknown location, with his fate remaining undisclosed.
• The Syndicate condemned the arbitrary arrest as a violation of human rights and international conventions, holding the Sudan Shield Forces responsible for his safety.
• This incident is part of a broader, escalating pattern of violations against journalists in Sudan, including killings, arbitrary arrests, and forced disappearances, documented by human rights organizations.

For legal advisors counseling media organizations and individual journalists operating in Sudan, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the heightened risks of arbitrary detention and potential forced disappearance.

On Monday, August 3, 2026, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate officially confirmed the arrest of journalist Al-Reeh Essam Jiksa. He was detained by a unit identified as being affiliated with the Sudan Shield Forces. The incident took place at the entrance to Wad Madani city, situated in Al Jazirah State, as Jiksa was returning from a professional assignment. His coverage had focused on an an event at the College of Education, which is part of the University of Al Jazirah, located in the Al-Hasahisa area.

The Syndicate's detailed statement revealed that the security force from the Sudan Shield Forces intercepted Al-Reeh Essam on Sunday, the day preceding the public confirmation. He was forcibly removed from the vehicle he was traveling in and subsequently taken to an undisclosed location. As of the Syndicate's announcement, the journalist's fate and exact whereabouts remain unknown. In response, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate has held the arresting force entirely responsible for Al-Reeh Essam's safety and has demanded the immediate disclosure of his place of detention.

The arbitrary detention of Al-Reeh Essam Jiksa is not an isolated event but rather a stark illustration of the escalating violations against journalists across Sudan, a trend that has intensified significantly since the onset of the ongoing armed conflict. Both journalistic and human rights organizations have consistently documented a disturbing array of abuses, including targeted killings, arbitrary arrests, instances of forced disappearance, and direct assaults on media professionals and their institutions. The persistent armed conflict has severely eroded the foundational guarantees intended to protect press freedom and ensure the safety and operational capacity of individuals working within the media sector.

The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate issued a strong condemnation of this arbitrary arrest, unequivocally stating that it constitutes a grave violation of fundamental human rights and basic freedoms. The Syndicate further emphasized that such actions represent a clear breach of the international conventions and protocols specifically designed to uphold and guarantee the freedom of journalistic work. They highlighted that the targeting and pursuit of journalists by armed groups, such as the Sudan Shield Forces, signify a profoundly dangerous development within the nation's already volatile security landscape.

The Syndicate underscored that the detention and harassment of media workers by armed entities pose a critical threat not only to the free flow of vital information but also to the essential process of documenting unfolding events. Such actions, they asserted, are fundamentally aimed at intimidating journalists and actively preventing them from fulfilling their professional duties to report accurately, impartially, and comprehensively. The arrest of Al-Reeh Essam Jiksa, therefore, is viewed as part of a broader, escalating pattern designed to suppress independent reporting and control public narratives amidst the continuing conflict.

For legal advisors counseling media organizations and individual journalists operating in Sudan, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the heightened risks of arbitrary detention and potential forced disappearance. It reinforces the urgent necessity for implementing robust safety protocols, establishing clear channels for legal recourse in cases of abuse, and systematically documenting all human rights violations. Such meticulous record-keeping is not merely procedural; it is vital for building future accountability efforts, ensuring that those responsible for undermining press freedom and endangering journalists can eventually be held to account under both national and international legal frameworks. This pattern of arrests by groups like the Sudan Shield Forces highlights a severe challenge to the rule of law and basic human dignity.

Lawyers advising media organizations or journalists in Sudan should assess the heightened risks of arbitrary detention and forced disappearance by armed groups, advising clients on robust safety protocols, legal recourse for abuses, and the importance of documenting human rights violations for potential future accountability.

Source: Original reporting via Sudan Tribune