Sudan’s Islamist movement, which lost its grip on power during the 2019 uprising, is positioning itself for a political comeback by aligning with the military, according to several of its senior members. The group, rooted in the former ruling National Congress Party (NCP), has deployed fighters in the country’s ongoing conflict and is reportedly prepared to support an extended period of army rule.
Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the NCP and one of four Sudanese officials wanted by the International Criminal Court, told Reuters in his first media interview in years that he anticipates the military will remain active in politics after the war. He suggested that elections could pave the way for the Islamist movement and the NCP to return to national leadership.
Sudan has been locked in over two years of devastating war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has triggered widespread ethnic violence, famine, and mass displacement, leading the United Nations to describe it as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. While the RSF maintains control in Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, recent army advances—allegedly supported by Islamist operatives—have shifted the balance in favour of the SAF.
Although army leaders and loyalists of former President Omar al-Bashir have attempted to downplay their ties, sources told Reuters that recent military gains have emboldened Islamists to seek a renewed national role. These accounts were confirmed by seven members of the Islamist movement and six military and government insiders.
The NCP, once dominant under Bashir in the 1990s when Sudan hosted al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, has long shed its hardline ideology in favour of securing political and economic power. A successful resurgence of the movement could mark a significant reversal of the pro-democracy uprising that began in 2018 and strain Sudan’s relations with regional powers such as the United Arab Emirates, which are wary of Islamist influence.
The Islamist revival appears to be gaining traction within the current government. Since June, several Islamists and their allies have reportedly been appointed to the cabinet of Prime Minister Kamil Idris, a technocrat installed by the military in May.
When contacted by Reuters for comment, a spokesperson for the Sudanese army leadership stated: “Some Islamist leaders may want to use the war to return to power, but we say categorically that the army does not ally or coordinate with any political party and does not allow any party to interfere.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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