Sudanese political groups, RSF, welcome US terrorist designation of Islamic Movement
March 9, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese political and civil forces, along with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), welcomed on Monday the United States’ designation of the Islamic Movement in Sudan as a terrorist group.
Earlier on Monday, Washington added the Islamic Movement and its armed wing, the Al-Baraa bin Malik Battalion, to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists, while seeking to designate it as a terrorist organization.
Following disagreements with the conservative Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan in 1963, Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi expanded front-based political action to seize power through various mass organizations, leading to the establishment of the National Congress Party (NCP) in 1998.
The NCP was established in tandem with the Islamic Movement organization, which served as the party’s ideological core to unify Sudan’s various Islamist factions. The movement was dissolved following the ouster of President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
The Islamic Movement returned to the forefront after the war in Sudan broke out 35 months ago, as its fighters supported the army in its conflict against the Rapid Support Forces. The Al-Baraa bin Malik Battalion served as the spearhead in several decisive battles.
Political forces quickly announced their support for the inclusion of the Sudanese Islamic Movement on the international terrorist list. The Civil Democratic Alliance of Revolutionary Forces (Sumoud), led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, welcomed the step.
The alliance stated that the United States based the designation of the Islamic Movement and the Al-Baraa bin Malik Battalion on their use of excessive violence against civilians and their role in prolonging the conflict and obstructing all peace efforts in Sudan.
The Sumoud alliance considered the designation a reflection of the will of the majority of the Sudanese people who took part in the December Revolution, rejecting the “criminality of the Islamic Movement” that ruled for 30 years, divided the country, committed genocide and various crimes, and spread terrorism, according to the statement.
A broad segment of Sudanese people organized peaceful protests in late 2018, leading months later to the ousting of President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 from the power he seized through a military coup led by the Islamic Movement in June 1989.
Sumoud noted that it launched a campaign last August to designate the Islamic Movement as a terrorist organization, calling on other countries and regional and international organizations to take similar brave and clear steps.
The Executive Office of the Unionist Gathering, a member of the Sumoud alliance, also welcomed the decision to designate the Islamic Movement in Sudan as a terrorist organization.
In a statement, it noted that the Islamic Movement has been linked to political exclusion and the building of “empowerment” networks within state institutions, in addition to a long record of practices contributing to the spread of extremism and terrorism.
It viewed the designation as a clear message on the necessity of ending the influence of ideological organizations that exploited the state for private projects, calling on other regional and international countries to designate the movement as a terrorist entity.
It emphasized that the path toward stability in Sudan requires dismantling the structure of political extremism and holding those involved in undermining state institutions and supporting violence accountable, paving the way for a nation of peace, freedom, and democracy.
The Rapid Support Forces welcomed the decision to designate the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, noting that it reflects an increasing awareness of the suffering of the Sudanese people over the past years. It described the designation as a moment of recognition for the pain of thousands of Sudanese families who lost their loved ones.
The Emergency Lawyers group also welcomed the designation based on accusations of committing grave acts of violence against civilians, carrying out mass executions during the armed conflict, linking with armed militias, and obstructing ceasefire efforts.
The group pointed out that the designation is a significant step toward international recognition of the responsibility of political and organizational networks linked to the Islamic Movement for a wide system of gross human rights violations witnessed in Sudan over the past decades. It demanded that the designation serve as a first step toward enhancing international legal accountability for crimes committed against civilians to ensure there is no impunity.