The Islamist Movement’s Strategy .. Dismantling the Revolution and the State Under the Cover of War

10:24 PM May, 03 2025

Sudanese Online
محمد عبدالله ابراهيم-الخرطوم-السودان
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By: Mohammed Abdullah Ibrahim
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For decades, Sudan’s Islamist movement has invested in war, sowed discord, incited divisions, and fueled violence across Sudanese communities to shape a reality aligned with its authoritarian project. The war, destruction, and devastation we witness today are merely the culmination of a long journey of manipulation and sabotage aimed at rebuilding the old regime and crushing any hope for a democratic state that embodies the Sudanese people’s aspirations for freedom, peace, justice, and equal citizenship.

Since the fall of their regime in April 2019, the Islamists have not concealed their intentions. Their statements and threats before the outbreak of the April 15, 2023 war revealed their anger at the change that toppled them and their explicit rejection of any political settlement that excludes them. especially the Framework Agreement, which they pledged to derail by shifting the balance of power and imposing a new reality where only armed actors have a place. These weren’t empty threats, but a systematic prelude to a war they had been preparing for since their ouster. This became evident in their suspicious activities, secret meetings, and mobilization rallies. most notably the so-called “Green March,” aimed at undermining the transitional government led by Dr. Abdalla Hamdok. Just days before the war erupted, some Islamist leaders were openly urging citizens to evacuate their families from Khartoum.

In the midst of this war, the presence of the Islamists has become louder and more visible than ever. Their fighters appear in video footage accompanying every advance by the army, brandishing Islamist slogans and threatening opponents from revolutionary forces and anyone daring to call for an end to the war. be they political or civil actors. These actions perfectly mirror statements made by army leaders themselves. In a defining moment, Yasser Al-Atta, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and head of the “Baraa Battalions,” proudly declared before military crowds, “We are remnants, Islamists, and Baraa Battalions.” Meanwhile, General Al-Burhan, the army commander, said just days ago from Port Sudan, “There is no glory for tires anymore. only for the gun.” Burhan clearly understood the symbolism of his words, which refer to the December Revolution that overthrew the Islamist regime in 2019, during which protesters would burn tires to block security forces from reaching and suppressing them. His statement seeks to erase the revolutionary symbolism of the tire. a key icon of the people’s glorious December uprising. and serves as a prelude to militarizing the state once again and erasing revolutionary memory.

The war has become a distinctly Islamist tool for re-entering the political scene under the guise of “fighting rebellion” and “restoring national dignity.” In reality, however, the Islamists seek to crush the revolution and monopolize power. Most alarmingly, they have effectively taken control of the army’s decision-making and now steer the war through their cadres embedded throughout army-held territories, systematically sabotaging all initiatives aimed at ending the war.

From the perspective of the Islamist movement, this is not merely an armed conflict. it is a strategic and executive tool to eliminate their political opponents, dismantle revolutionary forces, destroy the state and cities, tear apart the social fabric, and ultimately reengineer the state under the guise of a “war for dignity” and “anti-rebellion” rhetoric. All of this is designed to serve their grip on power and privileges.

Through infiltration of state institutions, building parallel economic networks, and forging alliances within the army, the Islamist movement has cunningly repositioned itself. It has adopted a dual discourse; a nationalist/religious narrative for public consumption, and a secret/enabling one behind the scenes. The ongoing appointments, counter-appointments, and the return of figures from the former regime to positions of power are glaring evidence of this project. as if the revolution never happened, and the blood of the martyrs was spilled in vain. The current war has become a battleground for settling scores with revolutionaries and activists and regaining control of the state’s levers through the military’s gateway. Because the Islamist movement does not believe in reform, accountability, or democracy, it views the state as spoils and the people as subjects to be subdued in the name of religion.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this project is its attempt to distort public consciousness and demonize anyone calling for peace, civilian governance, or justice. portraying them as traitors, agents, or “supporters of rebellion.” This discourse, deeply entrenched in Islamist media since the 1989 coup, is now being reproduced with more lethal tools, justifying repression and inciting religious, political, and ethnic hatred. All of this forms part of a brainwashing operation that seeks to demonize the revolution and falsify the will of the people.

Yet, despite the massacres, displacement, and destruction, the will of the Sudanese people has not been broken. The voice of the revolution still echoes in chants, in the initiatives of resistance committees, and in the struggle of Sudanese people inside and outside the country. Despite its horrors, this war has revealed the true nature of the Islamist exclusionary project, stripped it of its false masks, and placed both the international community and revolutionary forces at a critical juncture. demanding resilience, reorganization, and unity.
It is time the world heard the full truth: Sudan is not waging a normal civil war. it is facing a dogmatic coup project, seeking to reverse the course of history and re-entrench a system that destroyed the country for three decades and now returns to complete its mission under the banners of religious deception and military alignment.

This is an existential battle between two visions: one that seeks to drag Sudan back into the darkness of tyranny under the guise of religion, and another that aspires to build a state grounded in freedom, peace, justice, citizenship, and dignity. The victory of the latter is the hope of all Sudanese people. Our duty now is to hold firmly to this vision, expose the war’s alliances, call for civilian protection and accountability for all war criminals, and rebuild the popular movement on new foundations. learning from past experiences, upholding national principles, and preparing for the next stage. The road is not easy, but victory is inevitable.

Glory to the tire .. Glory to the revolution .. Eternal honor to the martyrs .. No voice is louder than the voice of the people.

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