Sudan’s once-dominant Islamist movement, which lost power following the 2019 uprising, is quietly positioning itself for a political resurgence by backing the army’s extended role in governance during the country’s ongoing war, several senior members have disclosed.
In a rare media appearance, Ahmed Haroun—the chairman of the former ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and one of four Sudanese officials wanted by the International Criminal Court—shared insights into the movement’s current strategy. Speaking to Reuters, Haroun stated that the military is expected to maintain a central role in politics after the war, and that elections could serve as a legitimate path for the NCP and its allied Islamist factions to return to power.
More than two years of brutal conflict between Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated the country. The violence has triggered ethnic massacres, widespread famine, and the displacement of millions, culminating in what the United Nations has declared the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. Foreign actors have also been drawn into the conflict, complicating peace efforts.
While the RSF continues to hold territory in its strongholds across Darfur and parts of the south, the Sudanese army has recently made strategic gains. According to multiple Islamist operatives, these advances were made possible in part by fighters linked to the Islamist movement.
Despite distancing themselves publicly from the former regime, military leaders and ex-NCP loyalists have maintained informal ties. These connections, downplayed by army officials due to the unpopularity of ousted president Omar al-Bashir and his close allies, have nevertheless emboldened Islamists to contemplate a broader political re-entry. Insights from seven members of the movement and six government or military sources confirm that the recent military momentum has sparked optimism among Islamist circles.
The NCP emerged from Sudan’s Islamist movement, which held significant influence during the 1990s—a period marked by Sudan’s hosting of Osama bin Laden. While the movement has since shifted away from its earlier hardline stance, prioritizing power and wealth over ideological purity, its renewed prominence could spell a rollback of the democratic aspirations sparked by the 2018–2019 uprising.
Such a development could further strain Sudan’s already fragile diplomatic relations, particularly with regional powers wary of Islamist governance. Notably, the growing Islamist influence threatens to widen the rift between Sudan’s military-led government and the United Arab Emirates, which has taken a strong stance against political Islam.
Reflecting this trend, several Islamists and their affiliates have recently secured cabinet positions under Prime Minister Kamil Idris, a technocrat appointed by the army in May. This wave of appointments is seen as a key indicator of the Islamist movement’s quiet return to influence.
Responding to Reuters’ request for comment, a spokesperson for Sudan’s 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.”
‘Army in Politics’
Speaking from a concealed location in northern Sudan—devoid of electricity—Haroun described a political vision where the military remains a dominant force in governance while elected civilians oversee day-to-day administration.
“We have taken a strategic decision to not return to power other than by the ballot box after the war,” Haroun declared. He escaped prison at the outbreak of the current conflict and remains in hiding.
“The Western model is not practical in Sudan,” he added.
“We must develop a model for the role of the army in politics given fragile security and foreign greed, as this won’t be the first or last war in the country.”
A high-ranking military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, hinted that any transitional period solely under military control ahead of elections would likely be extended.
“Would not be brief,” he said of the proposed army-led interim rule.
As Sudan’s war rages on, the convergence of military strategy and Islamist ambition may significantly shape the country’s post-conflict political landscape, challenging the democratic trajectory envisioned after the fall of al-Bashir.
