The Sudanese Journalists Union on Sunday confirmed the abduction of journalist Alaa El Din Abuharba from his home in the East Nile locality of Khartoum, an area under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to a statement obtained by Radio Tamazuj, the abductors demanded a hefty ransom for his release, threatening to kill him if the demanded money was not paid.
The statement further explained that despite receiving the ransom, the armed group doubled the ransom to Two Billion Sudanese Pounds, which the union stated put the journalist’s life in imminent danger.
“In a further escalation of violations, five masked and armed men raided the home of journalist Abdulrahman Haneen in East Nile at dawn on Friday, 16 August. They terrorized his wife and children and robbed them at gunpoint, stealing four laptops, mobile phones, 750,000 Sudanese pounds, and gold jewelry belonging to his wife. This incident further confirms that the lives of citizens and journalists are under constant threat from recurring armed robberies in these areas,” the union’s statement reads in part. “The union warns of the complete security collapse and widespread chaos engulfing the country, especially in areas under RSF control, where severe violations of citizens’ rights accompany it. The union demands that the RSF adhere to international humanitarian law and respect human rights.”
The union condemned the kidnap as a barbaric act and said they are holding the RSF fully responsible. The union emphasized that threatening a journalist’s life and using it as a bargaining chip constitutes a flagrant violation of all international laws and norms.
In a related development, the union revealed that a group of armed men raided the home of another journalist, Abdulrahman Haneen, in the East Nile area at dawn last Friday. The assailants terrorized his children and stole valuables and cash.
The Sudanese Journalists Union warned that press freedom is facing severe threats since the outbreak of the conflict, reporting 438 violations against journalists since the war began on 15 April 2023.
Eman Fadl El Seed, the spokesperson for the Sudanese Journalists Union, told this publication that had Abuharba not been talking to a fellow journalist at the time of his abduction, his fate would have remained unknown.
“The abduction of our colleague Alaa El Din Abuharba marks a dangerous escalation in the targeting of Sudanese journalists,” she stated.
Fadl added that the armed kidnappers extorted Abuharba’s family and colleagues by demanding a ransom for his release after forcing him to use his phone. She disclosed that the abductors subjected the journalist to all forms of threats and physical abuse while sending voice messages to coerce Alaa El Din’s associates into paying the ransom.
She pointed out that the incident is not isolated, that several journalists have been abducted or disappeared with their whereabouts unknown, and that many have been subjected to various forms of torture.
The union urged both parties in the conflict to adhere to the law, protect journalists, and respect their freedom to work.