New York — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Sudanese authorities to investigate and hold to account those responsible for the Tuesday, October 10 killing of Sudanese journalist Halima Idris Salim, and urges all parties to the ongoing armed conflict in the country to respect the press and guarantee journalists' safety.

"We are shocked by the brutal killing of journalist Halima Idris Salim in Omdurman, Sudan, and stand in solidarity with her family and colleagues at Sudan Bukra," said Sherif Mansour, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "It is deeply troubling that a journalist was killed during her coverage of the armed conflict in her hometown. All parties of the conflict in Sudan must respect freedom of the press and journalist safety."

On Tuesday, soldiers from Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group killed Salim when they ran over the journalist with a vehicle, according to a statement by local trade union Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, and a local journalist following the case who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

Salim, a reporter for local independent online news outlet Sudan Bukra, was covering the conflict in the city of Omdurman, northwest of the capital of Khartoum.

Since fighting started in mid-April between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces, partly due to tensions over the Sudanese army's attempted integration of the RSF, many journalists covering the fighting have been shot, beaten, and harassed.

CPJ's emails to the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF received no replies.