Sudan’s Islamic Movement has denied widespread reports that its secretary-general, Ali Karti, died or was admitted to intensive care in Turkey, as speculation over the whereabouts of the influential Islamist leader swept Sudanese social media.
Arabic-language accounts reported on Sunday that Karti’s health had deteriorated and that he had been transferred to a hospital in Istanbul. Some posts went further, claiming that he had died, but no independent or official evidence was provided to support the reports.
The Islamic Movement, which emerged from the political network that ruled Sudan under former dictator Omar al-Bashir, said Karti was in good health and dismissed the reports as fabricated rumours based on no credible information.
The group did not provide recent photographs, video footage or independently verifiable information confirming Karti’s current location or condition.
Karti, a former foreign minister under Bashir, is regarded by anti-war and pro-TASIS groups as one of the principal Islamist figures exercising influence over the Port Sudan military authorities and pressing the SAF to continue the conflict.
The United States imposed sanctions on Karti in September 2023, accusing him of undermining Sudan’s democratic transition and working with other hardline Islamists to obstruct efforts to secure a ceasefire between the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces. Washington said his actions contributed to the conditions that led to the outbreak of war in April 2023.
RSF- and TASIS-aligned commentators have repeatedly described Karti and the Islamic Movement as key political sponsors of the Islamist Army and accused them of seeking to use the war to restore the former Bashir regime.
Karti has publicly rejected ceasefire proposals with the RSF, reinforcing accusations that Islamist leaders surrounding the SAF command favour prolonging the fighting over reaching a negotiated settlement.
Reports have also circulated in recent months of divisions inside the Islamic Movement and efforts by Karti to establish foreign contacts as the group faces growing regional and international isolation. However, many of those reports remain based on anonymous sources and cannot be independently verified.
As of Sunday afternoon, there was no independent confirmation that Karti had died or been hospitalised in Turkey. The only direct response came from the Islamic Movement itself, whose denial has not ended speculation over the condition and location of one of the most secretive and controversial figures linked to Sudan’s war.
