RSF: Al Jazeera, Al Hadath and Al Arabiya have become platforms for distorting facts and misinformation.

MEDIA STATEMENT

Since the outbreak of the war on 15 April 2023, we have closely monitored the media coverage of certain channels and their blatant and systematic bias in favour of the army of the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood. These platforms have become instruments for distorting facts and misleading public opinion by broadcasting narratives that contradict reality to serve the Brotherhood’s agenda.

In flagrant disregard for the principles of professionalism, objectivity, balance and impartiality which represents the backbone of the media institution founded on strict professional standards, these channels, whose conduct is well known to the Sudanese people, have ignored the killing of dozens of civilians in the bombing of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of the densely populated livestock market in Nyala on Friday using a Turkish-made “Akıncı” drone. Instead, trampling on the blood of innocent victims and disregarding the suffering of their families, they sought to distort the facts surrounding this heinous and inhumane crime, portraying the massacres at the livestock market and in the Al-Dibab area as a supposed victory for the Muslim Brotherhood’s army, while ignoring press releases and documented reports published by numerous sources concerning these events.

These channels should have made even the slightest effort to present the facts as they are, explain the context of events in greater detail and with greater clarity to the public, and provide balanced journalistic coverage rather than relying on one-sided narratives, as is happening now and their coverage continues to reflect a pattern of reporting frequently used to serve political and military agendas.

What is truly astonishing is the silence of the same channels regarding the killing of hundreds of Sudanese people in recent days during the bombing of the miners in the Sudanese “Al-Aqidat Mountain” area, as “Port Sudan gang” remained silent, as well as their silence regarding Al Dibab massacre and other crimes, worse still, these channels have participated in attempts to conceal the facts by portraying these crimes as attacks against the Rapid Support Forces or their headquarters.

While condemning the systematic media disinformation of these channels, we call on press and media bodies to hold these platforms accountable. We also call on the Sudanese people and the Arab public to boycott them for legitimizing the shedding of innocent blood and abandoning neutrality and credibility in their coverage of the ongoing events in Sudan, after they have become only mouthpieces for the Islamic Movement’s army.

In light of the continued misleading and targeted media campaigns, we are closely monitoring the violations committed by these channels and will take firm action, including filing official complaints with regional and international press organizations concerned with the integrity of media coverage about the participation of these channels in covering up the crimes committed by the Islamic Movement’s army against the Sudanese people, particularly marginalized communities.

Office of the Official Spokesman
Rapid Support Forces