Paris Conference of Journalists:Demands International Sanctions on RSF Militia Leaders

Paris – Sudanhorizon
The World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the crimes committed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia against journalists in Sudan. In its closing statement in Paris, the Congress denounced the systematic killings and abductions that have targeted dozens of journalists since the outbreak of the war.
The World Congress was held in the French capital, Paris, from May 4 to 8. It witnessed broad international participation from leading figures in journalism to discuss the threats facing press freedom in Sudan. The Sudanese Journalists Union participated with a delegation that included its president, Al-Sadiq Al-Raziqi, and its secretary-general, Salah Omar Al-Sheikh.
The IFJ adopted Resolution No. 12, which calls for assistance in re-establishing the Sudanese Journalists Union. The Congress condemned the militia’s direct targeting of media personnel, particularly during the events in El Fasher.
The Congress reiterated its support for the Sudanese Journalists Union, a member of the IFJ, whose headquarters were previously occupied, preventing it from carrying out its activities, and whose leaders were persecuted, forcing them to flee Sudan. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) expressed its deep concern over the killing of dozens of journalists and the documentation of horrific atrocities, including unlawful killings and sexual violence.
The statement noted that militia soldiers broadcast footage of these crimes on social media in blatant defiance of international law.
The conference affirmed that the deliberate wave of violence targeted both journalists and civilians cooperating with them. It stressed that the aim of these attacks is to stifle independent reporting and isolate Sudanese society from the rest of the world.
The conference commended the efforts of the IFJ’s newly elected leadership in lobbying the United Nations. It criticized the international community’s inaction and failure to protect journalists from the brutality of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.
The statement demanded an end to impunity and the immediate release of all abducted journalists. It also called for an end to the restrictions on the flow of information and the lifting of the severe security censorship imposed by the militia on internet services in areas under its control.
The Paris conference directed its executive committee to launch an international campaign to impose targeted sanctions on the leaders of the Rapid Support Forces militia, and called for an independent investigation under the supervision of the United Nations into the assassinations of Sudanese media workers.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=13772