Muslim Brotherhood growing influence in Sudan

The role of the Muslim Brotherhood in shaping Sudan’s continuing conflict is a cause for concern among experts, who warn that the group could influence the country’s military leaders and even determine the nation’s political direction.

As a transnational Islamist organization deeply rooted in Sudanese politics, the Muslim Brotherhood played a pivotal role in establishing the former Islamist government of Omar Bashir in 1989.

Even after that government’s overthrow in 2019, the Brotherhood proved to be resilient and influential. Now, against the backdrop of the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, some fear that the group may attempt to make a comeback.

Over several decades, the Brotherhood was able to build support among various segments of Sudanese society through its advocacy of political Islam and social justice. During their rule, the Islamists implemented Sharia law — a move rejected by swathes of the population who adhered to Christianity and other local faiths, triggering a brutal civil war.

The Brotherhood’s influence has continued through para-police units affiliated with the former regime — units that have been accused of targeting women in response to their growing role in public life.

Since the conflict in Sudan erupted on April 15, the RSF has adopted a vehemently anti-Islamist tone, accusing groups such as the Brotherhood of infiltrating the SAF as a vehicle to further their political agenda.

While the political reality is probably more complicated than how the RSF seeks to portray it, the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence does call into question the durability of Sudan’s secular foundations.