Thousands of residents in the city of Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, gathered in large demonstrations this week to express support for Washington’s decision to designate Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.
Crowds took to the streets carrying banners and chanting slogans against the Islamist movement, which many Sudanese refer to as the “Kizan,” a term commonly used to describe figures associated with Sudan’s Islamist political networks and the former regime of Omar al-Bashir.
Participants in the rally said the U.S. decision represented a step toward accountability for decades of political repression and conflict linked to Islamist groups in Sudan.
Local activists and community leaders who spoke during the demonstration said the designation could help dismantle what they described as “deep networks” tied to the Sudanese Islamic Movement, the ideological backbone of Bashir’s former ruling system.
Nyala, one of Sudan’s largest cities and a major hub in Darfur, has long been home to large populations displaced by conflict. Organizers said residents from nearby displacement camps joined the gathering, highlighting widespread anger toward Islamist groups that many blame for past violence in the region.
The demonstration comes after the United States announced it had designated Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity and signaled plans to move toward a formal Foreign Terrorist Organization classification.
Washington said the move targets networks accused of supporting armed factions and undermining efforts to end Sudan’s war.
The designation has sparked sharp reactions across Sudan’s political landscape.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, welcomed the decision, describing it as recognition of the role Islamist factions have played in fueling the conflict.
Islamist-aligned groups and pro-SAF figures have rejected the designation, accusing the United States of interfering in Sudan’s internal affairs.
Analysts say the decision could have far-reaching implications for Sudan’s war, particularly because several Islamist militias and brigades are believed to be fighting alongside General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s Forces (SAF).
Among the groups frequently cited by observers is the Al-Bara ibn Malik Battalion, an Islamist formation that emerged after the war began in April 2023 and has openly mobilized fighters in support of the army.
Political observers say the U.S. move could increase pressure on Islamist networks that remain influential inside Sudan’s military and political institutions.
For many residents in Darfur, however, the demonstrations in Nyala reflected a deeper sentiment: a rejection of the Islamist system that dominated Sudan for three decades under Bashir.
“We suffered for years because of them,” one protester told local media during the rally. “If the world is finally recognizing what they did, then this is something we support.”
The rallies in Nyala are among the first visible public demonstrations in Sudan responding to the U.S. designation, and observers say more reactions may follow across regions affected by the ongoing war.
