Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is increasingly concerned that Darfur governor Minni Arko Minnawi could move closer to the civilian Sumoud alliance, exposing widening fractures inside the Port Sudan camp, according to Sudanese sources and political analysts.
Sources familiar with the tensions told Erem News that Burhan had made a series of angry contacts over Minnawi’s political manoeuvring, which they said reflected a deepening crisis of confidence among the army’s allies.
At the centre of the dispute is concern that Minnawi, whose Sudan Liberation Movement forms an important component of the Joint Forces fighting alongside the army, is seeking to develop political channels outside Burhan’s orbit.
The sources claimed that Burhan fears losing an important military ally if Minnawi further distances himself from Port Sudan, arguing that the movement’s military weight means any rupture could significantly weaken the army-aligned coalition.
They pointed in particular to the reported departure of about 180 military vehicles from Al-Dabbah in Northern State towards Darfur without returning, describing the movement as a source of concern within the Port Sudan camp. The claim could not be independently verified.
The reported military movements have coincided with Minnawi stepping up diplomatic activity through Addis Ababa and New York.
Minnawi is in New York during the UN General Assembly period, where he is pursuing meetings focused on the Sudan conflict and the humanitarian situation in Darfur. Former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok and a Sumoud delegation are separately conducting their own diplomatic campaign around the General Assembly.
Sudanese sources cited by Erem News said Minnawi has also been in contact with senior Sumoud figures, arguing that political disagreements between the two sides had not resulted in a complete break.
They described the contacts as part of what they called a strategic repositioning rather than an isolated political exchange.
According to the sources, the Democratic Bloc, in which Minnawi is a prominent figure, had already participated in meetings in Addis Ababa in June involving Sumoud and the Sudan Founding Alliance, or TASIS.
They said discussions between the Democratic Bloc and Sumoud produced areas of agreement over the possibility of launching a political process, with the bloc’s leadership aware of the contacts.
The sources argued that the latest meetings and manoeuvring in New York should therefore be viewed as an extension of a political track that began months earlier.
Burhan’s concern is heightened by Minnawi’s influence inside the Joint Forces, an alliance of Darfur armed groups that has been fighting alongside the Sudanese army.
Any significant withdrawal by Minnawi’s movement from that alliance could alter the balance within the army camp at a time when relations between Islamist factions, the military leadership and allied armed movements are already under strain.
Political writer and analyst Awab Azzam al-Bushi told Erem News that Minnawi appeared to be developing an independent negotiating position while keeping open the possibility of future alliances.
He said Minnawi’s decision to pursue international channels through Addis Ababa and New York, rather than relying solely on the internal political dialogue promoted by Burhan, suggested an attempt to establish a broader political base.
Al-Bushi said reported contacts between Minnawi and Sumoud could serve two purposes: building bridges with potential future partners while also increasing pressure on Burhan to renegotiate power and influence within the Port Sudan coalition.
He described Minnawi’s approach as a “strategic repositioning” driven by a widening trust gap with Burhan and concerns about political marginalisation.
Analyst Ammar Saeed said any eventual break by Minnawi would have major consequences because his movement represents one of the largest organised armed components within the Port Sudan-aligned camp.
However, Saeed cautioned that contacts with Sumoud do not necessarily mean that Minnawi is preparing to abandon Burhan.
He said Minnawi could instead be using the possibility of alternative alliances to strengthen his bargaining position inside Port Sudan and secure greater political influence.
The developments come amid broader signs of tension between Burhan and Minnawi. Previous reports have said Burhan restricted funding and contacts with Minnawi-linked forces during an earlier dispute, while Minnawi expanded contacts with civilian political groups and pursued meetings outside Sudan.
For now, Minnawi continues publicly to support military operations against the Rapid Support Forces, meaning the political manoeuvring has not yet translated into a formal break with the army camp.
But the expanding diplomatic contacts underline growing uncertainty over the durability of the coalition surrounding Burhan and whether one of its most important armed allies is preparing for a different political alignment.
