Sudan Paramilitary Group Boasts Of Detaining Islamists

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Sudan’s Paramilitary Group Targets Islamists: Repression and Detentions Escalate

In Sudan, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched a wave of repression, detaining Islamist leaders and activists who are seen as political opponents. These arrests began even before the conflict erupted in April and have intensified since then.

The Islamist movement in Sudan strongly opposes the RSF’s leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, fearing that he will obstruct their attempts to regain the political and economic power they once held in Khartoum. Dagalo, a former militia leader from Darfur, has been accused of involvement in multiple massacres. Presenting himself as a reformer, he publicly labelled Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the de facto military leader, a “radical Islamist.”

During the ongoing conflict, Dagalo recently boasted about the detention of thousands of Islamists, including former intelligence service members and militia affiliates. While the exact numbers lack independent confirmation, several prominent figures within Sudan’s Islamist movement have been apprehended, including Mohamed al-Jazouli and Anas Omar.

Sudan paramilitary group boasts of detaining Islamists https://t.co/g2KXX66Ds0

— Guardian news (@guardiannews) June 19, 2023

The attitudes of the main actors involved in the conflict towards the Islamist movement carry significant weight, despite the Islamists’ recent avoidance of public roles. Analysts suggest that Dagalo aims to portray Islamists as a major threat and position himself as their sole counterforce, serving his political and economic interests due to their deep involvement in Sudan’s economy.

The conflict in Sudan has resulted in the loss of over 2,000 lives and inflicted suffering on millions. Al-Burhan has rallied supporters of the former dictator Omar al-Bashir’s regime, which heavily relied on Islamists. These supporters sought to establish a religiously governed system, despite Sudan’s sizable Christian minority.

Islamists have long had a notable presence among the regular military officers opposing Dagalo’s RSF in Khartoum and other regions, constituting approximately two-thirds of these officers. Historically, Islamists have strategically infiltrated the army, aware of the army’s ability to exclude them from politics. They covertly planted cells within the military to preserve their influence.

Al-Burhan, primarily concerned with maintaining military power and protecting economic interests, lacked a political base upon assuming power. Thus, he turned to veterans of Bashir’s regime to counter challenges from pro-democracy forces and Dagalo. Initial attempts at reform, including purging Islamists, were abandoned and reversed after the 2021 military coup, dashing hopes of a transition to democracy. Many senior Islamists, who had fled to Turkey, returned to Sudan.