The UK-based Sky network is preparing to end its partnership with Sky News Arabia, which broadcasts from Abu Dhabi, following widespread accusations that the channel has become a propaganda platform denying atrocities committed by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces.
According to The Telegraph, Sky will withdraw its brand licensing from the channel next year after notifying UAE state-backed media company IMI and completing the necessary legal procedures.
Background of the Partnership
The partnership between Sky and IMI began in 2010 as a 50-50 venture when Sky was owned by News Corp and Rupert Murdoch, who was seeking to build alliances with the UAE. Since 2018, however, Sky has been owned by the U.S.-based Comcast, which has also terminated branding agreements elsewhere, including in Australia, over concerns of editorial bias toward a Fox News-style approach.
Allegations of Complicity with RSF
Western intelligence reports have accused Sky News Arabia of whitewashing crimes committed by the Rapid Support Forces, a Sudanese militia allegedly backed by the UAE. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan—UAE Vice President and owner of Manchester City—is said to have played a key role in overseeing the country’s activities in Sudan. The UAE has denied any involvement in the alleged crimes.
The channel drew significant controversy over its coverage of the RSF’s takeover of El Fasher last year. Satellite imagery documented a massacre in which thousands of civilians were reportedly killed.
However, the channel’s correspondent, Tasabih Mubarak Khater—who is married to a senior official in the RSF’s parallel administration—was seen embracing a field commander who had called for the rape of women in Darfur. She later aired reports denying evidence of massacres and dismissed satellite imagery as “fake news.”
International Reactions
In February, a UN fact-finding mission concluded that genocidal intent was “the only reasonable inference” from patterns of rape, killing, and ethnic cleansing in Darfur. Despite this, Sky News Arabia continued to broadcast reports downplaying these allegations.
UAE Response
IMI defended Sky News Arabia’s coverage, calling accusations of bias “outrageous and unfounded,” and stating that its editorial standards board remains operational. Sky News in the UK has not responded to requests for comment regarding its Emirati affiliate.
