In Sudan’s vast western region of Darfur, journalists in El-Fasher are trapped under siege, suffering violence, hunger, and relentless bombardment alongside the people they report on. Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group formed from the notorious Janjaweed militias in Darfur, have been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023.

In May 2024, they encircled the city, seeking to take control of the last major urban center in Darfur still under government control. Journalists reported being cut off from food and aid during relentless shelling. Some were also targeted by RSF fighters with sexual violence and arbitrary detention because of their reporting.

Since April 2023, more than 600,000 people have fled the city and surrounding camps, while those left behind face famine, according to the United Nations.