Sudanese Islamists, long ousted from power after the 2019 uprising, are preparing to regain a foothold in the national political scene, leveraging their informal alliance with the army in the ongoing conflict against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Several figures in the Islamist movement confirmed to Reuters their active support for the military campaign, while hinting at their ambitions for a return to power.
Ahmed Haroun, a former senior official in ex-President Omar al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP) and wanted by the International Criminal Court, spoke from hiding in his first public interview in years. He said the military would play a political role after the war, and that future elections could pave the way for a return of the old Islamist regime. He spoke of the need to establish a model of governance that would explicitly include the military in the national political arena.
Haroun and other Islamists claim direct involvement in the Sudanese army's recent military advances, particularly in the ravaged capital of Khartoum. They say members of the movement have provided fighters and logistical resources to support the army in its fight against the RSF, which has established itself in its strongholds in Darfur and in parts of the south of the country.
For its part, the army has officially denied any coordination with political parties, including the NCP. But on the ground, observers report growing evidence of active, even tolerated, cooperation between Islamists and certain military circles. This dynamic raises concerns among civilians and pro-democracy groups, who fear a creeping return of the old regime under the guise of security stability.
The war, which erupted in 2023, has plunged Sudan into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to the UN. It has caused ethnic massacres, widespread famine, and the displacement of millions of people. Prospects for peace remain distant, with fighting continuing to rage in several parts of the country, despite recent military gains.
Amid this chaos, Islamists hope to capitalize on the institutional vacuum and the erosion of the forces in power to reposition themselves. Their possible return to politics, backed by weapons and military support, represents a major turning point for the future of the country and for the democratic aspirations of the 2019 uprising.
