Sudanese politician Salah Manaa has accused the country’s Islamist movement of using the ongoing war as a route back to power, warning that the conflict has become a political project aimed at restoring networks linked to the former regime.
Manaa, rapporteur of Sudan’s Empowerment Removal Committee and a senior figure in the National Umma Party, said the war that erupted in April 2023 should not be viewed only as a military confrontation between rival forces.
In remarks reported by Tanweer and cited by DW Arabic, Manaa argued that the continuation of the conflict serves the interests of Sudan’s Islamic Movement, which he said has long sought to regain control of the state after the fall of Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
He said the SAF had lost its independence as a national institution over previous decades and had come under the influence of political Islam, turning the current war into a struggle over power, state institutions and the future direction of the country.
Manaa said Sudanese civilians were paying the heaviest price for that struggle, amid mass displacement, hunger, economic collapse and the destruction of basic services.
He also criticised regional involvement in the conflict, saying military and political backing for the SAF’s leadership from outside powers had prolonged the war and reduced the chances of a negotiated settlement.
Manaa warned that the continued flow of foreign weapons could turn Sudan into an open arena for regional and international rivalries.
He urged the international community to use its leverage to support a peace process rather than reinforce the military track, saying Sudan’s crisis had already devastated millions of families and placed the future of children at severe risk.
