The UK’s Sky News Group ended its joint news venture with International Media Investments (IMI) of the United Arab Emirates after IMI came under scrutiny for its controversial coverage of the civil war in Sudan.
IMI is controlled by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the vice president of the UAE and the owner of the Manchester City Football Club.
IMI and Sky News announced a new commercial partnership in which the UK-based broadcaster will relinquish all operational control and ownership of Sky News Arabia, including the 24-hour Arabic news cycle and current affairs service.
In the new deal, Sky News retained a multi-year brand licensing deal that would allow Sky News Arabia to keep its name, even as the UK-based outlet would not hold control over the operations in Abu Dhabi.
The agreement marks the end of a joint venture that began in 2010, when Sky News Group and IMI joined forces to launch Sky News Arabia as an alternative Arabic-language TV news channel to rival Al Jazeera and the BBC World Service’s Arabic service.
“The time is right for this change, and we look forward to continuing our relationship in the next phase of Sky News Arabia,” David Rhodes, executive chairman of Sky News Group, said in a statement.
IMI characterized the new agreement as a sign of Sky News Arabic’s maturity as a regional media outlet and said it would enable further growth and innovation under a single owner.
Controversy over reporting in Sudan
Sky News executives had become increasingly concerned about the editorial direction and coverage of Sky News Arabia in the region, according to reporting by The Guardian.
Coverage of the civil war in Sudan from Sky News Arabia was criticized for “whitewashing genocide” perpetrated by the UAE-backed paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
However, UAE officials have continued to deny having connections to the RSF.
In November, the Sudanese government banned the outlet from reporting in its territory after Sky News Arabia journalists reported that the security and humanitarian situation in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, had stabilized. Other outlets reported that the RSF had triggered mass displacement following a siege and occupation of El Fasher.
The Guardian also reported that the Sky News Arabia journalist in North Darfur was married to an RSF government official.
Sky News Arabia: No evidence of RSF atrocities
The channel has published reports suggesting there was no evidence on the ground supporting testimonies accusing the RSF of committing atrocities in the state of Western Sudan.
In February, the UN sanctioned a fact-finding mission to Sudan, which concluded that the siege, capture, and 18-month occupation of El Fasher by the RSF deliberately targeted ethnic minorities with the “hallmarks of genocide”.
The UAE has denied any responsibility for the atrocities committed by the RSF in Sudan.
