The killing of hardline commander Ali Didan last Thursday has sent shockwaves through Sudan’s political circles, not only because of his battlefield influence, but because he was widely regarded as a “black box” revealing the depth of extremist Islamist penetration within SAF and the security apparatus, as well as their grip on key aspects of the war.
According to media reports, Didan was killed during clashes with RSF forces in South Kordofan. He was far from an ordinary officer. A prominent figure of the former regime, he previously served as commissioner of the Talodi locality before becoming a key architect of armed Islamist brigades.
Sources say Didan was among the early founders of ideologically driven Islamist militias now fighting alongside SAF. These include the Al Baraa ibn Malik Brigade, considered the backbone of Islamist fighters, and the Lightning Brigade, which issued a condolence statement for Didan under SAF branding.
Didan was also described as the de facto director overseeing the operation of drone units in the Kordofan states, playing a central role in aerial attack coordination.
Condolence statements issued by official and partisan bodies raised serious questions about SAF’s decision making independence. The Islamist Movement, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, mourned Didan in a statement signed by internationally wanted Ahmed Haroun, using overtly extremist ideological language.
Observers described another condolence statement, issued by the Lightning Brigade and headlined under SAF’s name, as a practical admission of full integration. This, they argue, confirms that these militias are not merely auxiliary forces but an integral part of the combat structure directing military operations.
Analysts also point to the description of Didan by the General Intelligence Service as the “emir of the mujahideen” within the agency as further evidence of extremist infiltration of Sudan’s security institutions.
Political activist Mohamed Hussein Al Nour said the relationship between extremists and SAF is one of domination rather than partnership.
“The killing of an extremist of this stature has made the reality impossible to disguise,” he said. “They have emirs inside every military and security body, and they are the ones deciding the course of the fighting. This demolishes repeated denials about Islamist control over SAF’s decision making.”
While the death of Ali Didan represents a significant blow to the extremists’ military infrastructure, particularly in the drone warfare file, it also places SAF leadership in an increasingly uncomfortable international position, as the Islamist imprint on the management of the war has become too visible to ignore.
