Journalists Demand Unconditional Release of Arrested Colleague Siddiq Dalai in Sudan

The South Sudanese Journalists Syndicate and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) are urgently calling for the unconditional release of Siddiq Dalai, who was arrested in Damazin, Blue Nile region of Sudan. These organizations are also urging the authorities to allow journalists to work freely, especially amidst the ongoing civil war in Sudan. The state of press freedom and freedom of expression has deteriorated significantly since the outbreak of the war on April 15 of last year.

Last week, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate released a statement to the public regarding the arrest of journalist Siddiq Dalai by the Military Intelligence of the Sudanese Armed Forces. Dalai, known for his critical reporting, recently condemned the killing of lawyer Salah Al-Tayeb by army personnel in Al-Jazeera.

In a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate declared, “The Sudanese Journalists Syndicate strongly condemns Siddiq Dalai’s arrest, holds the army’s military intelligence responsible for his security and safety, and demands his immediate and unconditional release.”

A colleague of Dalai, who wishes to remain anonymous, revealed that Dalai was arrested after posting about a relative who was allegedly killed while in detention. “Our colleague, Siddiq Dalai, was arrested a week ago and remains detained. He wrote an article on his Facebook account about the killing of a family member while detained by military intelligence,” the colleague said. The family is deeply concerned, as Dalai’s whereabouts remain unknown. The Sudanese media authority is also calling for his release so he can resume his duties.

The Syndicate claims that both sides of the armed conflict in Sudan continue to violate the rights of journalists, using arrests as a means to silence, intimidate, and terrorize them. They have documented an increase in violations, with 39 journalists, including five women, being arrested and detained by both factions.

Dalai’s arrest is a blatant violation of his rights as a journalist, highlighting the imminent danger and ongoing intimidation faced by journalists in Sudan. The CPJ reports that since the armed conflict began in April 2023 between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), international efforts to secure ceasefires and humanitarian access have been made, but freedom of expression remains under severe threat.

About the Author
Diing Magot has been working as a journalist at Voice of America, South Sudan in Focus, Juba, South Sudan (Remote) since April 2019. She pitches story ideas, writes stories for radio, reports on air, edits audio, and collaborates with newsroom management.

She has contributed at InfoNile in Kampala, Uganda (Remote) since February 2021. She has produced three investigative data-based multimedia articles, including a photo story on water access in Juba. She has received training in photojournalism, data journalism, and investigative storytelling.

She previously interned at a radio station in Juba, South Sudan from October 2018 to December 2018, where she wrote scripts for radio, conducted interviews, and read the 11 a.m. news headlines on air.

Diing Magot
Freelance Reporter at Voice of America
South Sudan in Focus

Related Posts