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The Islamist movement that was toppled during Sudan’s 2019 uprising could support extended military rule as it seeks a political comeback following its involvement in the ongoing war. Ahmed Haroun, former chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP) and one of four Sudanese wanted by the International Criminal Court, told Reuters in his first media interview in years that he envisions the army remaining politically involved after the conflict ends. He suggested that elections could offer a path back to power for his party and its connected Islamist movement.
More than two years of war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has caused ethnic killings, famine, massive displacement, and drawn in foreign powers, creating what the United Nations calls the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Despite the RSF remaining entrenched in Darfur and parts of the south, the army has made significant gains recently. According to accounts from seven movement members and six military and government sources, the Islamist movement is using these gains to consider a return to a national role.
Army leaders and former regime loyalists have downplayed their relationship with the Islamists, wary of the unpopularity of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir and his NCP allies. However, recent army advances have allowed the Islamist movement to entertain a political comeback according to sources within the movement. The NCP is rooted in Sudan’s Islamist movement, which was dominant during Bashir’s early years but has long abandoned hardline ideology for power accumulation.
The resurgence of Islamist factions began before the April 2023 war outbreak when transition towards civilian rule veered off course. These factions had deep roots in Sudan’s ruling apparatus and army during Bashir’s three-decade rule. When army commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan staged a coup in 2021, he drew on their support, while the RSF participated but was suspicious of the Islamists.
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Haroun, who escaped from prison at the start of the conflict and is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and genocide, suggested a referendum to choose an army officer to lead Sudan. An NCP document shared with Reuters by a senior Islamist official indicates a major role for Islamist networks since early in the fighting, contributing between 2,000 and 3,000 fighters directly to the army over the first year of the conflict.
Other sources estimate that hundreds of thousands of civilians were trained and mobilized, with more than 70,000 joining operations. Army sources place estimates of NCP-linked fighters at about 5,000 serving in special forces units that have made significant gains, particularly in Khartoum. Some are also serving in an elite unit of the general intelligence service.
Haroun acknowledged supporting the army but doubted the veracity of the document and claims of thousands of NCP-linked troops fighting alongside the army. Burhan has repeatedly stated he would not allow the NCP back to power while enabling Islamist civil servants, including high-level roles like foreign minister and cabinet affairs minister.
The RSF has emphasized its Islamist connection as the army downplays it. Rights monitors have accused some Islamist units of extrajudicial killings in newly recaptured parts of Khartoum, although one leader denied these allegations. Army leaders say these groups will be integrated post-war to avoid a repeat of the RSF’s development under Bashir.
Military sources claim senior Islamist figures used long-standing ties with countries like Iran, Qatar, and Turkey to secure weapons for the army during the conflict. Haroun neither confirmed nor denied this. Any further alignment could strain relations with the United States and antagonize the UAE, which helped oust Bashir and seeks to roll back political Islam.
The army cut diplomatic ties with the UAE earlier this year, accusing it of supporting the RSF, a charge the Gulf state denies. The Emirati foreign ministry stated that it rejects supplying weaponry to any party involved in the conflict. It also called for a lasting ceasefire, warning that Sudan risks becoming fertile ground for radical ideologies and terrorist organizations.
(Additional reporting by Nafisa Eltahir; editing by Aidan Lewis)
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What does Ahmed Haroun suggest about the future role of his party and its connected Islamist movement after the ongoing war ends?
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