Rhino: Agencies – A recent report, released in early May 2025 and published by the U.S. platform “The National Interest,” warned of the growing influence of Islamist groups within the Sudanese Armed Forces, amid the ongoing war with the Rapid Support Forces that has been raging since 2023.

According to the report, the Sudanese army has resorted to enlisting Islamist militias to compensate for its setbacks on the battlefield, with groups linked to Islamist movements—including elements close to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as armed formations such as the “Al-Baraa bin Malik” battalion—emerging to fight alongside regular forces.

The article noted that this shift reflects the army’s weak conventional combat capabilities and its growing reliance on non-state forces, which is raising increasing concern within the international community regarding the nature of the rising forces within the Sudanese military establishment.
In this context, the report noted that in March 2026, the United States designated some of these groups, such as the Al-Baraa bin Malik Brigades, as terrorist organizations, in a move reflecting growing concerns about the implications of this alliance for regional and international security.

Observers believe that the growing role of Islamists within the army could complicate efforts toward a political settlement, as well as potentially increase violations against civilians, given the absence of clear institutional oversight of these groups.

This comes at a time when Sudan is experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, as the ongoing war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces has resulted in thousands of deaths, the displacement of millions, and a sharp deterioration in living conditions.

Armed conflict broke out in Sudan in April 2023 between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, quickly escalating into an all-out power struggle, amid international warnings of state collapse and escalating security threats in the region.

In light of these developments, Sudan’s future remains contingent on the warring parties’ ability to reach a political settlement, at a time when the rise of irregular armed groups is further complicating the situation and threatening to prolong the conflict.