Misbah Abu Zaid Talha, commander of the jihadist al-Baraa bin Malik Battalions, posted a combative message on Facebook that observers read as a shot across the bow of other factions backing General al-Burhan’s army (SAF).
“Whoever thinks he can ride the scene on the backs of Baraa’s youth should know we are un-biddable and not for sale,” Talha wrote. “We do not quarrel for power, seek no one’s approval, and fear none but God… Silence is not weakness; it has limits, and we know when—and how—to speak.”
The battalions, created in 2023 and fighting alongside General al-Burhan’s SAF against the Rapid Support Forces, draw fighters from Islamist networks close to the former National Congress Party. Rumours have swirled of turf wars among pro-SAF auxiliaries over influence in Port Sudan junta’s Prime Minister Kamil Idris’s new cabinet and on the front line around Gezira.
Analysts say Talha’s statement signals resistance to any attempt by SAF commanders or rival militias to sideline al-Baraa or dilute its share of spoils. “It’s a warning to stay out of their lane,” one security researcher told Sudan Leaks.
The post comes days after other Islamist units complained they were being excluded from key operations. For now SAF headquarters has not commented, but the flare-up highlights the fragile coalition underpinning General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s war effort.
