Influence of Select Foreign Media Reporting on Africa Conflicts Perceptions: A Case of Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces in 2023-2024
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Date
2025-06
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
The role of media reporting is emphasized as a powerful agent in shaping African conflict perception through selective covering, agenda-setting and the dissemination of information. The main objective of the study was to examine the influence of foreign media reporting on Africa conflict perception, specifically focusing on the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, Sudan. The specific objectives were to assess the foreign media conflict coverage between SAF and RSF, to analyze the Implication of language use in reporting the conflict between the SAF and RSF and to examine foreign media perception in reporting the SAF and RSF conflict. The thematic scope was on foreign media reporting on Africa conflicts perceptions in the year 2023, considering Khartoum, Sudan. Further, the study considered Agenda-Setting Theory by McCombs and Shaw (1972) and Framing Theory by Goffman (1974). A mixed methods research design was adopted. The study population consisted of individuals who were exposed to foreign media reporting and had the potential to form perceptions about African conflicts. The research targeted the general population or residents residing Khartoum. The study utilized stratified sampling for 384 Khartoum residents to ensure demographic diversity and purposive sampling for 19 Kenya-based international media houses to capture expert insights, achieving a total sample of 403 participants to analyze covering, language and biases in 2023 conflict coverage. Primary data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). Secondary data was gathered from a range of sources including scholarly articles, books, reports and online resources. To ensure the effectiveness of the research tools, a pretesting phase was conducted. The data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics to outline and interpret the main features. Throughout the data collection process, ethical standards were meticulously adhered to. The findings revealed that foreign media coverage of the SAF-RSF conflict in Khartoum heavily emphasizes violent events and emotive visuals, sidelining local voices and perpetuating stereotypes of African instability. Linguistic choices like “rebels” or “tribal feud” oversimplify the conflict’s ethnic and political complexities, while covering by outlets like Al Jazeera and BBC aligns with geopolitical agendas, distorting global perceptions. These practices marginalize Sudanese perspectives, prioritize sensationalism and skew diplomatic and humanitarian responses. The study highlights the need for balanced reporting to reflect Sudan’s multifaceted dynamics accurately.
Description
A Research Report Submitted to the School of Law, Arts and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts in International Relations and Diplomacy of Kenyatta University, June 2025.
Supervisor
Caroline Wandiri Mwea