General Malik Agar, Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council, has urged Sudanese media outlets to combat hate speech and promote national unity.
On Tuesday, at a Ramadan Iftar gathering for media professionals and journalists in Port Sudan, General Agar highlighted the critical importance of countering hate speech and fostering unity across Sudan.
“Journalism and media’s role should ideally be directed towards the state, even for opposition media. Opposition media should work with integrity and respect, aiming for roles to integrate,” said Gen. Agar.
He urged journalists to pay attention to the critical situation of Sudan, especially in the aftermath of the war, indicating that Sudan will need reconstruction and rebuilding.
The top Sudanese official called upon media outlets to prioritize uncovering the truth and delivering accurate information about the country’s affairs to citizens. Agar also announced his intention to organize a media conference soon to address press and media-related issues in Sudan.
Since fighting erupted in Sudan between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April last years, supporters from both sides have threatened journalists for criticizing human rights violations by both sides, according to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate.
The war between army chief Abdel Fattah Burhan and his former deputy and RSF commander, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, has killed tens of thousands, destroyed infrastructure and crippled the economy.
Several ceasefire agreements brokered by Saudi and US mediators have failed to end violence in the country.