After the political change in Sudan in April 2019, which resulted in the ousting of the "Salvation" regime and the fall of President Omar al-Bashir's government, many people, especially outside Sudan, felt sympathy for the Islamists in Sudan. This sympathy stemmed from the fact that al-Bashir's regime was Islamist, and thus, after its downfall, a dark fate awaited the Islamists. This was the sentiment among many Muslims, while many secularists and advocates of Westernization had high hopes. So, what has happened to the Sudanese Islamists over these five years since the change? And what could their future hold, at least in the foreseeable future?
Historical Background
First, we need to define what is meant by "Islamists" and briefly outline their origins and development.
The term "Islamists" usually refers to individuals belonging to Islamic schools, factions, and fronts whose principles are rooted in the Muslim Brotherhood, founded by Imam Hassan al-Banna in Egypt in 1928. The movement quickly spread to all Arab and Islamic countries in a short period.
The Muslim Brotherhood's call reached Sudan in the 1940s during Imam al-Banna's lifetime. However, the first general conference of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan was held in Omdurman in August 1954, two years before Sudan's independence.
Before independence, the Muslim Brotherhood, along with others, established the Islamic Constitution Front to advocate for an Islamic constitution on the eve of independence.
Sudanese Islamists: Deep-Rooted and Experienced in Post-Independence Sudan's Political Landscape
During the second democracy period (1964 – 1969), the Muslim Brotherhood, along with others, re-established the Islamic Charter Front, which included Salafis and independent Sufis as a political front. They continued to call for an Islamic constitution, which nearly passed its final reading in the Constituent Assembly. However, the entire system was overthrown by the leftist-secular military coup in May 1969, targeting Islamists with its ideological and political nature. Much political water flowed under Sudanese bridges after that, and the May regime continued until 1985, when it was overthrown by a popular revolution in April of that year.
After the April 1985 uprising, the largest faction of Islamists founded the National Islamic Front, which became the third-largest force in the Constituent Assembly, leading the opposition and participating in some governments. Feeling conspired against and sensing attempts to forcibly remove them with regional and international collusion, they overthrew the entire system through the "Salvation" coup in June 1989, which remained in power until it was ousted after 30 years by the political change mentioned earlier, in April 2019.
From this brief overview, it is clear that Sudanese Islamists have deep and old roots in post-independence Sudan. They emerged before Sudan's independence and actively participated in all political eras following independence up to the present day. It also shows that Sudanese Islamists have extensive experience in political work, gaining political expertise unmatched by other Islamists in the region.
After the 2019 Change
As previously mentioned, the political change in April 2019 ousted the Islamist "Salvation" regime. Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, a former leftist with a clear secular orientation, took over the government, supported by regional and international forces who believed the opportunity was ripe to eliminate the Islamists. Indeed, Islamists faced a series of tribulations led by Dr. Hamdok and his local, regional, and international supporters to eradicate them.
Tribulations Faced by Islamists Led by Hamdok and Supported by Local, Regional, and International Forces
A widespread wave of arrests targeted Islamists, leading to the death of the former Secretary-General of the Islamic Movement, Al-Zubair Ahmed Hassan, in prison, as well as the death of President al-Bashir's brother and several other Islamist leaders. Extensive media smear campaigns were launched against Islamists, many of their properties were confiscated, numerous funds were frozen, many were dismissed from their jobs, and they were displaced by the notorious "Empowerment Removal Committee." This is a brief overview of the targeting of Islamists following the 2019 change.
A Turn of Events
However, two significant events in Sudan recently turned the situation upside down, impacting and continuing to influence the political landscape alongside other developments.
The first event occurred in October 2021 when General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, issued a military statement dissolving the government, arresting Prime Minister Dr. Hamdok and some of his ministers, and freezing certain provisions of the constitutional document intended to serve as the constitution governing the transitional period. These actions stripped the ruling Forces of Freedom and Change coalition (FFC) of its illegitimately obtained power with foreign assistance and left them in disarray, leading to threats and promises of retaliation.
For the Islamists, these actions alleviated some pressure and negatively affected the FFC, which failed to manage the state, resulting in public dissatisfaction. Moreover, these decisions reinstated many Islamists to their former positions, as the orders suspended the notorious "Empowerment Removal Committee" and nullified its decisions.
Unfortunately, General al-Burhan did not fully carry out these decisions, releasing Dr. Hamdok and reinstating him as Prime Minister shortly thereafter. However, Dr. Hamdok resigned in January 2022, openly admitting his failure to govern Sudan during a critical and dangerous period.
The second event dramatically changing Sudan's situation occurred on April 15, 2023, when the Rapid Support Forces militia rebelled, attempting to seize power and overthrow the government by force. Despite the rebellion's apparent potential for success, given the militia's control over many strategic locations in the capital, substantial external support, arms supplies, and mercenaries from African countries, divine intervention and the steadfastness of the Sudanese Armed Forces, exhibiting remarkable bravery and high professionalism, thwarted the primary goal of the conspiracy and prevented the overthrow of the state and its government.
Islamists Stand Against the Rapid Support Forces Rebellion and Declare Support for the Army
However, the tragedy of the war continues due to external support for the rebel militia and the ambitions of regional powers in Sudan's wealth, land, and resources. Despite the Sudanese army, allied armed movements, and popular resistance thwarting the initial and most dangerous phase of the conspiracy, the conflict persists.
The Position of Islamists Amid Events
What impact has all this had on the Islamists in Sudan, and what are the implications for their future? Since the early days of the April 2019 change, most Islamists sensed external hands behind the transformation. Even some Islamists who initially supported the change later realized its true nature and reversed their stance. The full extent of the conspiracy against Islamists became evident after the formation of Dr. Hamdok's government in August 2019. As previously mentioned, Dr. Hamdok is a long-standing leftist and secularist, and all his policies and plans were externally influenced.
This became particularly clear when he summoned the United Nations mission to Sudan in 2020 through a letter sent without the knowledge of the Council of Ministers or the Sovereignty Council. This dangerous step undermined national sovereignty and brought Sudan to the brink of international intervention. Additionally, Dr. Hamdok and his government's targeting of Islamists was evident through the actions of the "Empowerment Removal Committee," widespread arrests of Islamists, and the dissolution of Islamic charitable organizations, including the Islamic Call Organization.
In response, Islamists led a strong opposition against Dr. Hamdok and his government, characterized by strength and peacefulness, even as Dr. Hamdok's government countered them with arrests and persecutions.
The Future of Islamists
Now, with the fall of Dr. Hamdok's government and the outbreak of war in Sudan, what is the position of Sudanese Islamists, and where are they headed?
From the early days of the Rapid Support Forces militia's rebellion against the state, Islamists, through their statements and practical stances, stood against this rebellion, viewing it as a threat to the existence of the Sudanese state. They declared their support for the Sudanese army, joint forces, and popular resistance to break the rebellion and preserve the Sudanese state and its national army.
The Outcome of Islamists' Resistance to Foreign Schemes Mirrors That of Most National Forces
The Islamist Position on the War in Sudan Represents the Correct Historical and National Stand Supported by the Following Realities:
- Targeting the National Army is an attack on the existence of the Sudanese state itself, as the Sudanese Army is a cornerstone of national unity.
- The conspiracy against the Sudanese Army has been led for decades by the Sudanese left, with their argument that the Sudanese Army is a bourgeois army serving the interests of Sudanese capitalism and various Islamic ideologies, necessitating opposition to this secular leftist path.
- There are regional and international forces coveting Sudan's resources, hindered by a cohesive national army with a righteous fighting doctrine. Hence, these forces seek to weaken the Sudanese Army.
- Embracing and encouraging popular resistance represents the steadfast rock upon which the illusions of regional and international forces seeking to swallow, divide, and weaken Sudan will shatter.
- The Islamists' efforts in resisting foreign schemes, exposing and uncovering them, mirror the outcomes of most Sudanese national forces and numerous armed movements. This has evolved into a national agenda that unites the majority of Sudanese, aiming for Sudan's unity — its people, land, and army — and resisting foreign interference and international ambitions day by day until defeating malevolent plans and prevailing in the Sudanese scene.
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Read this Article in Arabic.
