The resurgence of Islamist forces in Sudan has sparked fresh concerns, as political parties across the country are silenced under the weight of war and military rule, while Islamist factions, notably the Broad Islamic Current, continue to thrive.
This Islamist coalition, recently placing Ali Karti, a figure with deep ties to the former dictator Bashir, at its helm, signals the growing political influence of Islamist hardliners.
Karti, once a foreign minister and now head of the Sudanese Islamic Movement, is a figure steeped in controversy.
His ascension comes at a time when the international community, particularly the United States and European Union, have sanctioned him for obstructing Sudan’s 2019 revolution and hindering ceasefire negotiations.
Yet, despite these sanctions, Karti’s influence continues to grow, largely due to SAF leader General al-Burhan’s tacit endorsement of the Islamist revival.
Who is Ali Karti?
Ali Ahmed Karti is a prominent Sudanese Islamist politician and former military commander, best known for his influential roles in Sudan’s political and military landscapes.
He served as Sudan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2015 under dictator Omar al-Bashir and has been a central figure in the resurgence of Sudanese Islamism following the 2019 revolution.
Ali Karti, born in 1953 in Dongola, Northern Sudan, grew up in a conservative, religious family and joined Sudan’s Islamist movement early on, becoming a key figure in the Muslim Brotherhood.
Ali Karti’s early career was defined by his role in organizing the Islamist Popular Defense Forces (PDF) during the Second Sudanese Civil War, where he emerged as a hardline commander and staunch advocate of jihadist principles, supporting dictator Bashir’s war efforts against southern rebels and insurgents in Darfur.
Ali Karti transitioned from the military to a political role within the National Congress Party (NCP) under Bashir, serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010.
He played a crucial role in managing Sudan’s foreign policy during South Sudan’s secession in 2011, despite growing international isolation and sanctions.
Karti maintained strong ties with regional Islamist allies like Iran and Qatar, while facing increasing tensions with Western countries over Sudan’s conflicts and human rights issues.
After dictator Bashir’s fall in 2019, Ali Karti emerged as a key figure in revitalizing Sudan’s Islamist movement. Despite efforts by the transitional government to dismantle the National Congress Party (NCP) and suppress Islamist influence, Karti avoided legal repercussions.
By 2022, he had unified various Islamist factions into the Broad Islamic Current and was appointed its leader in September 2024, cementing his influence in Sudanese politics.
Karti’s obstruction of Sudan’s political transition post-revolution drew international condemnation, leading the U.S. and EU to impose sanctions on him in 2023. Despite these sanctions, he persisted in bolstering support for the Islamist cause in Sudan, using nationalist and anti-Western rhetoric to consolidate his political influence.
Ali Karti remains a deeply polarizing figure in Sudanese politics. Critics see him as a symbol of the extremism and corruption of Bashir’s era. As leader of the Broad Islamic Current, Karti underscores the enduring influence of Islamist forces in Sudan. His alignment with the military junta positions him as a crucial player in shaping the country’s turbulent future.
Islamist rhetoric and foreign conspiracy theories
One of the key tools used by the Broad Islamic Current under Karti’s leadership is the constant invocation of foreign conspiracies, an age-old tactic to deflect from the internal failings of Sudan’s ruling elites.
The coalition’s rhetoric insists that Sudan is under siege by foreign forces and political “mercenaries,” a claim that has gained traction under the military’s rule.
Inflammatory statements about foreign interference not only divert attention from the real domestic power struggles but also revive nationalist fervor and sow fear among the population.
Karti’s appointment is part of a broader strategy by Sudanese Islamists to capitalize on the chaos of civil war. The coalition of Islamist factions, united under the Broad Islamic Current, thrives in an environment where secular and progressive forces have been crushed under the military’s repression.
Opposition parties are either silenced or disbanded, while Islamists, enjoying both military protection and the guise of religious legitimacy, grow stronger.
Historical roots: The rise, fall, and return of Sudanese Islamism
Sudan’s political landscape has long been shaped by Islamism, a legacy that dates back to the regime of Omar al-Bashir, whose reign from 1989 to 2019 was marked by the authoritarian implementation of Sharia law and suppression of dissent.
While the 2019 revolution briefly ousted the National Congress Party (NCP) and its Islamist allies, their influence within the military and security apparatuses never fully disappeared.
Today, the Broad Islamic Current’s coalition brings together remnants of Bashir-era loyalists and newer Islamist factions, such as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Just Peace Platform.
These factions, despite their historical unpopularity among large segments of the population, have rebuilt their influence by exploiting the collapse of the transitional government and the failure of democratic forces to take root.
Islamist militias on the rise
Karti’s leadership also coincides with the growing power of Islamist militias such as the Baraa Bin Malik Brigade. These paramilitary groups, operating under the pretense of defending the nation, serve as proxies for the military government while pushing an Islamist agenda.
Their resurgence is troubling, given their historical role in the country’s darkest periods, from the civil war in South Sudan to the repression of the Nuba Mountains.
This new generation of Islamist militants is particularly dangerous. Armed with advanced weaponry, including drones and rocket systems, and buoyed by the chaos of the ongoing civil war, these militias are extending their influence not only on the battlefield but also into civil society.
The recruitment of “civil support battalions” signals an intent to infiltrate key sectors of society, from healthcare to education, further entrenching Islamist control.
Foreign blame game
The Broad Islamic Current’s attempts to frame the conflict as a foreign conspiracy—particularly targeting the UAE, Chad, and even Western nations—allow the military to deflect responsibility for the civil war.
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have consistently portrayed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a foreign-sponsored entity, despite the fact that the RSF originated from Sudanese soil.
This strategy of scapegoating foreign actors obscures the reality that the war is a power struggle between two domestic factions: the SAF and the RSF.
Both sides are guilty of atrocities, but the military’s reliance on nationalist and Islamist narratives has allowed them to maintain control of what remains of the state.
Islamist threat to Sudan’s future
As Sudan heads toward another season of violence, the resurgence of Islamism under Ali Karti’s leadership poses a significant threat to any hope for a peaceful or democratic future.
The growing influence of Islamist militias, combined with Karti’s hardline stance against ceasefire talks, signals a grim outlook for Sudan’s civilians, who remain caught in the crossfire between warring factions.
While international efforts to negotiate peace falter, Sudan’s Islamists continue to tighten their grip on the country, stoking xenophobic fears and suppressing any hopes for a return to democracy.
