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Al Jazeera correspondent detained in Darfur as U.S. demands protection of civilians
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) detained journalist Moamar Ibrahim, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher, in El Fasher, North Darfur, on Sunday, sparking widespread condemnation from press unions and renewed international concern over the humanitarian situation in Sudan. Ibrahim was reportedly the only journalist broadcasting from inside the city before his arrest, which occurred just as the RSF claimed full control of the last Sudanese army stronghold in Darfur.
Arrest and information blackout
Footage posted online by RSF members showed Ibrahim being detained as he attempted to leave El Fasher. The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate strongly denounced his arrest, holding the RSF entirely responsible for his safety and calling for his immediate and unconditional release. The union warned that a communications shutdown and internet blackout in El Fasher had deepened fears of abuses, leaving civilians and journalists isolated from the outside world.
International media organizations have also voiced concern about what they describe as an "information vacuum" in the besieged city. Reports emerging from nearby regions suggest worsening humanitarian conditions and rising civilian casualties as fighting intensifies.
U.S. presses RSF to safeguard civilians
In a post on X, Mossaad Boulos, senior adviser to the U.S. President on African Affairs, urged RSF commanders to “protect civilians and prevent further suffering.” He stressed that “the world is watching El Fasher and the actions of the RSF with deep concern,” calling on the paramilitary group to open humanitarian corridors and issue orders ensuring the safety of residents trapped by the conflict.
Meanwhile, the RSF’s deputy commander, Abdel Rahim Daglo, appeared in a video pledging to secure citizens’ property and punish looters, insisting that detained soldiers and civilians would be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law. However, rights groups remain skeptical, citing a pattern of abuses committed in other conflict zones across Darfur since hostilities began.
A critical turning point in Darfur
El Fasher, a city once viewed as a refuge for displaced civilians, has become the epicenter of the Sudan conflict’s escalating humanitarian catastrophe. The RSF’s assertion of control over the city marks a major victory in its months-long battle against the Sudanese Armed Forces but raises fears of retribution and unchecked violence in the absence of independent monitoring.
Both international observers and Sudanese civil society groups warn that the suppression of media coverage is enabling human rights violations to go unrecorded. The silence surrounding Ibrahim’s detention, paired with the blackout, underscores the deepening crisis of transparency and accountability in Sudan’s war-torn western region.
