"According to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, journalist Khalid Balal was killed by an armed group inside his home in El Fasher, North Darfur State. The identity of the killers or the group they belong to has not been confirmed."
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In reply to Hassan’s post I wrote and posted this comment:
"Condolences to Khalid's family and friends. Over the past 20 years hundreds of brave peacekeepers and journalists in Sudan and South Sudan have been murdered.
There’s little hard news coming out of Sudan because journalists and media outlets inside the country have been silenced. There is no freedom of speech. Anyone is free to kill.
In Memory of Khalid Balal and all journalists who have been killed in Sudan and South Sudan I wish we could stay on top of this story to find out what happened on that fateful day in El Fasher, North Darfur and why. People are murdering because they can, and they know they'll get away with it.
There is so much more to this story because Khalid leaves behind a shocked and grieving family and friends traumatised at such loss.
If anyone finds any shred of news on this story and what happened please share here. Maybe Khalid's family have written an obituary.
Rest In Peace Khalid Balal + + +"
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Today, I saw the following report regarding Khalid Balal.
CPJ condemns killing of Sudanese journalist Khalid Balal
March 6, 2024 (NEW YORK) – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Sudanese authorities to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for killing journalist Khalid Balal in Darfur region.
The body appealed to all parties to the conflict to respect members of the press.
“We are shocked by the brutal killing of journalist Khalid Balal in his own home by armed combatants,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour from Washington, D.C.
He added, “We urge the Sudanese authorities to promptly investigate Balal’s killing and ensure justice for this crime. All parties to the war in Sudan must respect journalists’ safety and cease killing members of the press who are civilians.”
On March 1, armed soldiers in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, shot and killed Balal, media director at the Sudanese government’s Supreme Council for Media and Culture, inside his home, according to news reports and two local journalists, who spoke with CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.
According to sources, Balal was also a member of the local trade union, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate.
CPJ was unable to determine which armed group was responsible for Balal’s killing.
Sudan plunged into chaos in April when clashes erupted in the capital, Khartoum, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The two local journalists attributed Balal’s death to his long career in journalism.
The journalists did not provide further details to CPJ, which will continue to investigate the circumstances of Balal’s death.
Meanwhile CPJ’s emails to the SAF and the RSF requesting comment on Balal’s death did not receive any replies.
CPJ is a New York-based non-governmental body that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists. Since the late 1980s, the organization has been publishing an annual census of journalist killed or imprisoned for their work. (ST)
View original: https://sudantribune.com/article282977/
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"Journalist Luay Abdelrahman has recently been subjected to a fierce campaign on social media platforms. It has prominently appeared on pages affiliated with the Rapid Support Forces, and the campaign has taken various forms, including defamation, categorization, and character assassination. The campaign against journalist Luay intensified after he exposed the horrific human rights violations committed by the Rapid Support Forces against unarmed civilians in Al-Gazira state.
(Sudanese Journalists Syndicate)"
Photo: Sudanese journalist Mr Luay Abdelrahman
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In reply to Hassan’s post I wrote and posted this comment:
"This is awful. I have just sent this message to Committee to Protect Journalists [...]: Dear CPJ, I remember you from many years ago, you once helped me when I was being threatened. Is there any way to intervene online in order to protect this journalist? Maybe threaten them with legal action or whatever tools you have had your disposal. Here is the post in my notifications page [...].
Kind regards, Ingrid J. Jones"
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END
