Sudan bans UAE's Sky News Arabia following el-Fasher coverage
The ban follows a controversial Sky News Arabia report from el-Fasher, where the network’s journalist was seen engaging with an RSF member just weeks after the group captured the city amid allegations of massacres and war crimes.
Sudan banned on Tuesday Sky News Arabia from operating in the country, accusing the UAE-owned network of entering the country and conducting media activity without authorization.
What happened: In a statement carried by the state-run Sudan News Agency, the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism announced, “Sky News Arabia is banned from operating in Sudan.” The ministry said the channel “does not possess any permit or accreditation authorizing it to conduct any media activity within Sudanese national territories.” It added that Sky News Arabia’s actions “constitute a clear violation of the laws and regulations governing media work” and that the government “reserves the full legal right to take the necessary action regarding this violation.”
Reached by Al-Monitor on Wednesday, a Sky News Arabia spokesperson said that the station's press team “was conducting legitimate journalistic work in a conflict area where multiple international media outlets operate.“
The spokesperson said that the outlet "stands by its team and continues to report objectively on the evolving situation in Sudan," adding that "SNA supports the principle of free and responsible journalism and rejects any attempt to weaponize accreditation processes to silence reporters."
