Sudan

Sudan is ranked 174 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) for 2018. The ranking is released by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Reporters Without Borders (RFS) which advocates for freedom of the press around the world.

The North-Eastern African country is classified as not free by the NGO Freedom House which collects data on political freedom and human rights from 195 countries. Sudan scores 7 out of 100 points (with 100 being the freest) on the aggregate freedom score. It is also categorized as one of the least free countries in terms of political rights and civil liberties.

Sudan is listed as a democratic republic. Its president Omar Hassan al-Bashir is head of the State and the Government. He managed to obtain control over the country and suppress other political parties. Bashir is also convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. This is one of the main reasons for the unsafe and oppressive conditions in which the journalists struggle to meet the goals of their mission.

The country’s WPFI ranking has remained stable in the past 4 years. However, it performed worse than in 2013 when it was added for the first time to the RFS ranking system. The main reason for this lower performance is the political conditions in the country. The clash between Bashir and the opposition has resulted in many protests. The protestors are treated violently by the National Security Service. More than 1000 activists were arrested, wounded and between 20 and 40 were killed.

The media is trying to cover the current events in an objective manner, but it faces censorship and oppressive policy from the governmental body. In 2018 almost 20 local and international journalists were arrested in their attempt to cover the ongoing protests against Bashir. Another 2 journalists have been banned from practicing their profession. Many radio and television stations, that attempt to broadcast independently from the current regiment, are shut down.

The worsening media situation is resulting in more people relying on social media news coverage. However, BBC News reported that the State still has the right to block sites which are found to be a threat to national security. This enables the military forces to arrest online activists and ordinary online users who have shared or expressed a provocative opinion concerning al-Bashir’s rule.

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Vesselina Tasev is a bachelor degree student majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and Business Administration.