Sudan

DECEMBER 9, 2025

Sudan downgraded in global ratings report on civic freedoms amid devastating war

• Sudan downgraded from “Repressed” to “Closed”
• More than two years of war has shattered Sudan’s civic space
• Both RSF and SAF have threatened, attacked, detained and killed activists, journalists and humanitarian workers

The CIVICUS Monitor announced on Tuesday that it has downgraded Sudan’s civic space to "Closed," its worst possible rating. This change, detailed in the People Power Under Attack 2025 report, is the result of more than two years of devastating civil war which has ripped Sudan apart and allowed military strongmen to crush civilian citizen participation in public life across the country.

Since the outbreak of intense fighting in April 2023, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their respective allies have pushed civil society to the absolute brink. Across all areas, whether controlled by the RSF or SAF, soldiers have threatened, attacked, detained and killed humanitarian workers, human rights defenders, journalists and activists.

Meanwhile, emergency orders and uncompromising military rule have resulted in curfews, movement restrictions including thousands of checkpoints, as well as severe clampdowns on freedom of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly.

"Sudan’s civic space is one of this terrible civil war’s countless victims. The country’s once-vibrant civil society, which joined together to oust a dictator just five years ago, has found itself targeted, splintered, scattered and killed by the RSF, SAF and their allies," said Sylvia Mbataru, Africa Researcher for CIVICUS Monitor. "It will take years to rebuild Sudan. Civilian groups must lead that process, but first, the country needs peace."

This year Sudan’s score dropped 12 points from 21 to 9, moving it from the lower tier “Repressed” to the worst possible rating “Closed.” A “Closed” rating means civic space is completely shut down, with severe penalties for any form of dissent, freedom of expression is criminalised and journalists risk their lives to do independent reporting. There are 33 total “Closed” countries around the world in 2025, including Eritrea, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The war has wrecked Sudanese media, destroying an estimated 90 percent of Sudan’s media infrastructure. At least fifteen journalists have been killed since 2023 and 27 newspapers have stopped operating. Dozens of humanitarian and health workers have been killed as well, including 11 summarily executed in Zamzam displaced persons camp in North Darfur by RSF fighters in April 2025.

Since April 2023, the RSF and SAF have shut down the internet and weaponised the online space by spreading disinformation and propaganda on social media, worsening the humanitarian crisis, hampering delivery of aid and preventing civil society from documenting crimes against humanity.

The assault on civic freedoms in Sudan even extends beyond its borders, with the SAF-led government targeting anti-war figures and political opponents residing abroad, including filing grave criminal charges of “inciting war against the state” against former civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Other human rights defenders have also reported receiving threats, indicating a broader campaign to intimidate the Sudanese diaspora.

“The attacks on civil society by both sides in Sudan are nothing short of devastating,” said Sylvia Mbataru. “The world must not only pay more attention to this crisis, but take meaningful action to stop the fighting and hold the perpetrators and their enablers accountable.”

Notes to the Editor:

The CIVICUS Monitor is a global research platform that assesses the state of civic freedoms—including freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly—across 198 countries and territories. Drawing on verified reports of civic space violations from a network of 20+ research partners worldwide, the Monitor tracks incidents including protests, censorship, the detention of activists and more. Each country is assigned a score from 0 to 100, reflecting the openness of its civic space, with higher scores indicating greater respect for civic freedoms. Based on these scores, countries are classified into five categories: Open, Narrowed, Obstructed, Repressed, or Closed.

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact : media@civicus.org.