SAF General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, expressed fear and concern on Monday about the growing factionalism within the former ruling National Congress Party (NCP), warning that efforts to reinstate an ally of ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir could undermine Sudan’s unity as his forces are struggling against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The NCP, which governed Sudan for three decades before Bashir’s ousting in 2019, has long-standing ties to the SAF, influencing decision-making throughout the ongoing 19-month war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
These ties have particularly obstructed attempts to negotiate a ceasefire.
Recently, internal divisions within the NCP have become more apparent after its advisory council elected Ahmed Haroun, a close associate of Bashir, as the new party president.
Both Haroun and Bashir are sought by the International Criminal Court for charges of genocide and crimes against humanity related to the Darfur conflict in the early 2000s. The U.S. has even offered a $5 million reward for Haroun’s capture.
During a speech at an economic conference in Port Sudan, Burhan condemned the divisiveness of the NCP’s internal elections. “We do not accept any political activity that threatens the unity of Sudan or its fighters,” Burhan stated.
The factional rift comes as former high-ranking Bashir officials, including Haroun, were freed from prison after the conflict erupted and are currently at large.
Former dictator Bashir, 80, is now in custody in Meroe for medical treatment, having been moved from Khartoum. Following his release, Haroun was replaced as NCP head by Ibrahim Mahmoud, who recently returned to Sudan from abroad. Mahmoud rejected the advisory council’s election of Haroun and continues to claim leadership of the NCP.
The NCP’s rival factions, alongside other jihadist groups, are engaged in fighting the RSF, with some even operating within regular army units, including the Baraa Ibn Malik brigade, a militia accused of human rights violations.
General al-Burhan is under immense criticism from various factions within the SAF and NCP for his lack of leadership as RSF has achieved significant victories on the battlefield.
The ongoing war has led to widespread famine and disease across Sudan, with both sides accused of hindering humanitarian aid deliveries.
Bashir, NCP and Muslim Brotherhood
Sudan became a center for political Islam after Bashir’s 1989 coup, with the Muslim Brotherhood-linked NCP remaining in power through civil war and economic decline until his removal.
The NCP was banned by the Sovereignty Council of Sudan in the aftermath of the military takeover on 29 November 2019. All party properties were confiscated and all party members were barred from participating in elections or holding office for ten years.
By 2022 many former allies of ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir had been reintegrated into the civil service, while others released from prison, signaling a potential shift toward forming a new government.
This so-called rehabilitation of the Islamist National Congress Party (NCP) by General al-Burhan’s SAF came amid a deepening economic crisis and ongoing protests calling for a return to civilian governance.
Members of various Islamist factions, including the NCP, launched a “Broad Islamist Current,” in 2022, marking their formal re-entry into politics.
Sudanese fear that Islamists have aligned with the military and are on the verge of regaining control.
The unofficial rehabilitation of the NCP has been accelerating since 2022, with many former NCP bureaucrats reinstated to key positions in government, including at the central bank, judiciary, and foreign ministry.
