5 Reasons Sudan’s War is Actually a Muslim Brotherhood Resurgence
Far from defending the state, hardline Islamists are hijacking the military to rebuild an extremist sanctuary in the Horn of Africa. Here is how they are doing it—and why the world needs to pay attention right now.
1. They Have Infiltrated the Army The SAF isn't acting alone. Hardline Islamist combat battalions—most notably the US-designated al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade—are operating with massive autonomy alongside the army. Backed by training and arms from Iran’s IRGC, they are steering military decisions based on extremist ideology, not state defense.
The Ikhwan al-Muslimin, known as the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), has passed through three broad phases of development in Sudan. The first centred on the formative phase of the MB as a social and religious organization; the second on the pursuit of political power; and the third,…
2. They Are Sabotaging Peace Every time peace talks are on the table, they collapse. Why? Because the Brotherhood’s survival depends on "total war." They view any ceasefire or diplomatic compromise as a threat to their power, choosing instead to weaponize the country's humanitarian catastrophe to block regional and international mediation.
3. The Terror Financiers Are Back Shadow wars run on cash. After the October 2021 coup, the Brotherhood dismantled the anti-corruption committees, unfreezing assets and shell companies for designated financiers like Abdelbasit Hamza. This has allowed money to flow back into Islamist hands, reopening illicit financial conduits historically linked to groups like Hamas.
4. It’s a Repeat of the 1990s Terror Playbook We’ve seen this movie before. Today’s tactics are a direct echo of Hassan al-Turabi’s 1990s regime—the same regime that hosted Osama bin Laden, ran militant training camps, and served as the operational launchpad for the 1998 East Africa embassy bombings. The Brotherhood is trying to rebuild that exact sanctuary.
5. They Are Stockpiling Chemical Weapons If their ideological and historical ties weren’t terrifying enough, leaked intelligence reveals a chilling escalation: the clandestine stockpiling of chlorine-based munitions at the Merowe air base, stolen from civilian infrastructure.
The Bottom Line: The Muslim Brotherhood's presence guarantees the prolongation of Sudan's war. If they are allowed to consolidate power within the military, Sudan won't just be a country in conflict—it will become a transnational hub for global jihad. It’s time to call the conflict what it is.
Reference: Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan: Genesis, Evolution and Threat