Two Years of War in Sudan: Stories from MiCT Fellows

15th April 2025

Two years since the conflict escalated between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, the toll is staggering: over 28,000 lives lost, 11 million people displaced and what the United Nations has described as the world’s most devastating humanitarian and displacement crisis.

Sudanese journalists have been among the most vulnerable since the war began; targeted, threatened, or forced into exile. According to the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, at least 13 journalists have been killed, more than 1,000 driven into exile, and 90% of the country’s media infrastructure has been destroyed.

Still, many have kept reporting. From inside the country and from abroad, they have worked to document the impact of the war on people’s lives, cities, and futures. Their stories speak to the strength of communities, the pain caused by war, and the urgent need for justice. These are their voices, and this is the war in Sudan, through MiCT Fellows’ work.

War in the Streets of Khartoum

In Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, the boundaries between homes, battlefields and graves disappeared. After months under the control of the RSF paramilitary group, the city was only recently retaken by the Sudanese army, revealing a shattered urban landscape and deep civilian trauma. Fellow Wafa A. M. Ali documented the quiet horrors left behind: mass graves tucked along the edges of schools and former community offices, where families, unable to reach public cemeteries due to ongoing clashes and movement restrictions, were forced to bury their loved ones wherever they could.

Generations of Halted Dreams

In a powerful video, Fellow Rafa Renas presented personal accounts from Sudanese individuals who escaped violent conflict, capturing their halted dreams and collective desire for a peaceful future. It highlights the crucial role of the youth in rebuilding their country and the media's potential to drive social change.

A Lifeline Across the Desert

As entire communities flee the violence, ancient trade routes are being revived for survival. Fellow Mahir Abu Goukh traced how old paths, once used for commerce, are now lifelines for civilians trying to escape Sudan’s war. The piece documents both human resilience and the collapse of modern infrastructure.

The featured journalists are participants of the Fellowship for Critical Voices, a project by Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) that supports media makers from crisis-affected regions. The initiative is supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, as part of the Hannah Arendt Initiative.

Since the outbreak of war in Sudan, MiCT, in partnership with the International Press Association of East Africa, has accompanied over 100 Sudanese journalists through some of their most difficult moments. We responded to the urgent needs of those affected by the escalating conflict through emergency relocation and safe housing, legal assistance and visa support, psychosocial counselling and health care, editorial mentorship and professional opportunities.

As the crisis deepened, it became clear that long-term, localized support was essential. In 2024, with the support of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication and the German Federal Foreign Office, we established a dedicated Exile Media Hub in Nairobi, offering a safe space for East African media makers to regroup, rebuild, and continue their work in exile.

In 2025, we’re deepening our commitment by preparing to launch new Fellowship cohorts, welcoming more Sudanese and East African journalists into our community and extending support to those facing danger, exile, or displacement.