The youth wing of Sudan’s dissolved National Congress Party (NCP) has warned that it will pursue all available options to secure the release of Ahmed Haroun, intensifying a confrontation between former ruling-party Islamists and the SAF government following the detention of the International Criminal Court fugitive.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the party’s youth secretariat condemned Haroun’s detention and accused the authorities of turning against a political figure who had supported the Sudanese Armed Forces throughout the country’s war.
The group said Haroun had remained committed to what it described as the national cause since fighting erupted in April 2023, including efforts to mobilise and encourage armed brigades supporting the military.
It argued that his continued imprisonment was incompatible with the political and military support provided by members of the former ruling party.
Islamists challenge military authorities
The statement warned that the youth wing would resort to all possible means and options to demand Haroun’s release.
It also questioned whether the country’s leadership was acting independently, suggesting that the detention reflected pressure from foreign powers.
The group did not identify the countries allegedly responsible for such pressure or provide evidence supporting the accusation.
The warning follows an earlier statement by the National Congress Party’s leadership demanding Haroun’s immediate release and accusing the authorities of abusing their powers.
Party officials have portrayed the arrest as politically motivated and inconsistent with the military leadership’s calls for national dialogue.
The increasingly confrontational statements highlight tensions between the army-aligned authorities and Islamist networks associated with former President Omar al-Bashir.
Haroun’s controversial return
Haroun, a senior figure in Bashir’s government and the current head of the dissolved National Congress Party, was detained on November 8 after appearing in a lengthy podcast interview.
During the interview, he discussed the relationship between the former ruling party and the armed forces, as well as the political circumstances surrounding Sudan’s war.
His public appearance triggered criticism from Sudanese civilian groups and human rights advocates, who questioned how a senior figure wanted by the International Criminal Court had been able to move and speak publicly.
Haroun faces an ICC arrest warrant covering 42 counts of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur during the conflict that began in 2003.
He has denied the allegations against him.
Haroun was previously held following Bashir’s overthrow in 2019 but left detention during the turmoil surrounding the outbreak of the current war.
Demands for international accountability
While the former ruling party is demanding Haroun’s release, Sudanese lawyers and rights organisations have renewed calls for the authorities to transfer him to the International Criminal Court.
Haroun’s defence lawyers have also demanded that officials disclose his place of detention and explain the legal basis for his arrest.
The controversy has exposed competing demands on the SAF government.
Islamist supporters view Haroun’s detention as a betrayal of their political and military support, while opponents of the former regime argue that the authorities must comply with international accountability demands.
The United Civil Forces Alliance, known as Qimam, has separately dismissed the detention as a political performance intended to conceal longstanding ties between the army leadership and Bashir-era Islamist networks.
No official decision to transfer Haroun to the ICC has been announced.
With the former ruling party’s youth wing now threatening further action, the dispute threatens to place additional pressure on an already strained relationship between the military leadership and its Islamist allies.
