Kamil Idris, Port Sudan PM appointed by the SAF junta, has announced the creation of a new “youth-focused unit” directly attached to his office. Far from being a genuine civilian initiative, this move appears to be yet another ploy to extend the grip of the SAF’s Islamist allies over what remains of Sudan’s civic space.
According to sources in Port Sudan cited by Al-Rakoba, the unit is a political façade designed to embed the “National Support Battalion” — a formation loyal to the notorious Al-Baraa Bin Malik militia — into civilian structures. Just days ago, the militia’s leadership publicly claimed they were abandoning combat for “civilian work,” a statement now exposed as little more than a rebranding effort.
Behind the language of youth empowerment and community engagement lies a more sinister agenda: the militarization of civilian life. The plan, according to these sources, is to channel enormous funds — estimated at up to $300 million provided by the Islamist network — into programs that will let these militias dominate aid distribution, reconstruction, “charity work,” and youth activities. This comes after SAF-appointed authorities in Khartoum restricted independent food relief initiatives, insisting on permits that only their affiliates can secure.
The creation of this “youth unit” is widely seen as an attempt to suffocate independent activism, neutralize the pro-democracy youth movement, and block any civic mobilization against General al-Burhan’s coup regime, especially as displaced citizens begin to return.
This scheme also echoes the Islamist strategy of the past: seizing civilian spaces, rewriting the narrative as “participation,” and smothering dissent under the guise of “empowerment.” It is an insult to the more than 130 young Sudanese killed in protests against the October 2021 coup, whose sacrifices continue to be erased by the very forces responsible for the country’s destruction.
While Idris’ office speaks of “giving youth a voice in national decision-making,” the reality is stark: this is an operation to co-opt, control and corrupt what remains of Sudan’s civilian front. It marks a new phase in the long war of the Islamists to reassert dominance — this time not with tanks on the streets, but with suits, budgets and carefully crafted deception.
