The Face of Truth | Ibrahim Shaglawy The Return of Newspapers and Al-Ayyam

For decades, the Sudanese press has constituted one of the most important pillars of national awareness, and has remained a broad space for plurality of voices and the development of political work. Before the war, Khartoum was publishing nearly twenty political, social, and sports newspapers, reflecting the vitality of the scene and the breadth of the space for expression.

However, this sector collapsed with the outbreak of war on April 15, 2023. Publication ceased, advertisements vanished, and subscriptions were cut off, while the infrastructure was subjected to attacks by the Rapid Support Forces militia, leading to the destruction of printing presses—striking the heart of journalistic publishing and one of the most important pillars of state stability.

Today, as conditions are being prepared for the return of life to the capital, a real opportunity emerges to revive this vital sector. Restoring print journalism has become a necessity parallel to security and administrative efforts; a state cannot stand by force alone, but by the word that observes, interprets, and grants society its capacity for understanding and accountability.

In this context, the responsibility of the state emerges in creating an enabling environment for the return of the press through smart and productive interventions that rebuild the minimum level of infrastructure. Rehabilitating printing presses or procuring alternative printing machines represents a foundational step that can bring this sector back to life.

Likewise, national entities such as the “Defense Industries System,” which has redefined the concept of national support through its practical roles in various fields that have earned recognition, can contribute to this path by maintaining the printing infrastructure or rehabilitating it with modern technologies—similar to its previous contributions in supporting the voluntary return of Sudanese citizens and strengthening the electricity and education sectors—considering that the stability of the media sector is an integral part of state stability.

The role of the National Council for Press and Publications also remains important in facilitating procedures, providing support, and creating an attractive regulatory environment that encourages return without complexity. This includes preparing regulatory frameworks and easing procedural burdens, allowing for a gradual and well-considered return of newspapers to publication, in a manner that balances professional stability requirements with conditions of sustainability.

Yet, the greatest bet remains on the actors within the profession themselves. Publishers and journalists are not merely recipients of support, but partners in shaping this historic moment. Initiating the return to printing, even with limited resources, represents a foundational act that restores confidence in the presence of the state and documents the beginning of a new transformation. The pressing question is not whether the press will return, but who will take the initiative to support stability first, break the state of stagnation, and open the way for others.

The view that the future has been decided in favor of digital journalism overlooks the specificity of the Sudanese context. Digital transformation is not merely a technical shift, but the product of an integrated economic and cultural structure: stable subscription systems, an active advertising market, and effective electronic payment mechanisms—conditions that have not yet fully materialized in a way that allows the digital alternative alone to bear the burden of media presence. Accordingly, print journalism remains, at this stage, a realistic and necessary option to rebuild the minimum level of organized and effective societal communication.

However, if restoring print newspapers proves difficult, realism requires thinking of a transitional formula that is less ambitious but more impactful—through a state-led initiative to preserve the national media project by supporting the publication of two solid newspapers at a minimum level, similar to what “Al-Sahafa” and “Al-Ayyam” once represented. This aims to safeguard responsible national media capable of expressing the state without being reduced to it, and of fulfilling its public role without losing its independence.

The experiences of countries emerging from conflict confirm the importance of newspapers. In Lebanon, the return of newspapers to publication after the end of the civil war was a positive indicator of the restoration of the state’s position, despite ongoing challenges. That return was not merely a resumption of printing, but a declaration that civil life is capable of rising again.

Khartoum today stands before a similar test, where the return of print newspapers, taxis, cafés, and cultural and sports clubs goes beyond restoring the appearance of the capital to become an indicator of the return of the state and the restoration of the collective sense of security in a moment of transition from war to peace. In this context, recovery is not measured only by the return of institutions, but by the restoration of spaces that produce public awareness—where the written word, analysis, and critical voice return as effective tools to illuminate the path and reshape the public sphere for the coming phase.

According to #The_Face_of_Truth, the call today goes beyond mere aspiration to the necessity of action: a national initiative in which state efforts integrate with the will of publishers and journalists to resume printing newspapers from the heart of Khartoum, as they once were. States are built when their institutions recover, but they are truly restored when their consciousness returns to life and the fourth estate regains its role in leadership and influence.

Wishing you continued health and well-being.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Shglawi55@gmail.com