Sky News Arabia blamed for promoting paramilitary forces in Yemen

Social media users have criticized the UAE-funded Sky News Arabia channel, accusing it of "blatant promotion" and "legitimization" of paramilitary forces accused of destabilizing Yemen and Sudan.

The UAE, which owns 50 percent of Sky News Arabia through International Media Investments (IMI), backs Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), both of which face allegations of human rights abuses, reports the Middle East Eye (MEE).

The RSF has been implicated in mass killings and widespread abuses since the war in Sudan began in 2023, some of which were documented by its own fighters and later corroborated by satellite imagery.

The STC, which seized large parts of southern Yemen ahead of a planned referendum on independence from the north, has also faced accusations of human rights violations.

Sky News Arabia came under renewed scrutiny after critics accused it of acting as a "propagandist" for the two groups.

In a post on X directed at David Rhodes, executive chairman of UK-based Sky News Group, Saudi Arabian political researcher Salman Al-Ansari called for an investigation into the channel acting as a "propagandist".

"Its coverage has repeatedly obscured, minimized, or ignored well documented crimes, including massacres, looting, and widespread sexual violence, committed by these militias," he said, adding that it has "actively supported and legitimized" the UAE-backed groups.

 
Ansari said such coverage "stands in stark contrast to the journalistic integrity traditionally associated with the Sky News network", accusing its Arabic-language broadcaster of continuing to "shield and blatantly promote" the forces. 

Yemeni journalist Yaser al-Hasani warned that what he described as Sky News Arabia's "media manipulation" risked damaging the wider network's reputation.

"It is crucial for media outlets to uphold their responsibility in conveying the truth and documenting human rights violations, rather than justifying crimes and distorting facts," Hasani said. 

Taha Saleh, a journalist from Taiz, southwestern Yemen, said he worked for the channel for five years but said it failed to meet international journalistic standards.

"The channel was not working or respecting the international journalistic standards followed by Sky News," he said.