Sky News is preparing to terminate its licensing agreement with Sky News Arabia following mounting evidence of the UAE-based channel’s systematic whitewashing of human rights atrocities committed by Sudanese paramilitary forces. According to The Daily Telegraph, the British broadcaster will withdraw its brand licensing rights from the Abu Dhabi-operated network in 2025 after investigations revealed profoundly compromised editorial standards regarding Sudan’s civil conflict.
The decision follows extensive documentation of Sky News Arabia’s coverage that consistently minimized the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) campaign of violence in Darfur. A groundbreaking Yale Humanitarian Research Lab study utilizing NASA satellite data exposed how RSF fighters systematically destroyed agricultural communities around el-Fasher, creating man-made famine conditions. The report documented 41 farming villages attacked between March and June 2024, with subsequent imagery showing two-thirds of these communities exhibiting ‘no visible pattern of life’ and agricultural land reduction exceeding 80%.
Internal sources revealed to The Telegraph that an editorial oversight board established to maintain journalistic standards possessed ‘no real power’ due to the channel’s ownership structure under Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, UAE vice-president. The situation reached critical levels in February when Sky News Arabia deployed reporter Tsabih Mubarak Khatir—married to a senior RSF official—to el-Fasher. Footage showed the journalist embracing a female RSF commander previously recorded encouraging sexual violence against Darfuri women while declaring ‘we are with you.’
Khatir’s subsequent reports denied documented atrocities, claiming satellite evidence of devastation was fabricated. This coverage aligned with UAE’s geopolitical stance despite overwhelming evidence from flight logs, weapon serial numbers, and satellite imagery demonstrating Emirati support for the RSF.
The Sudanese conflict, ongoing since April 2023, has displaced over 11 million people and created complex international alliances. While UAE, Ethiopia, Kenya, Chad and Libyan general Khalifa Haftar support the RSF, the Sudanese Armed Forces receive backing from Egypt, Turkey, and increasingly Saudi Arabia—marking a significant rift between the Gulf neighbors.
Although Sky executives notified UAE’s state media company IMI of their decision in late 2024, negotiations continue regarding potential partnership salvage operations. The separation highlights growing tensions between international news standards and state-influenced media operations in conflict zones.