In a surprising twist amid the complex and painful scenes of the Sudanese war, the “Barra bin Malik Battalion” — known colloquially as “the Barra’oun” in Sudanese dialect —announced its withdrawal from military operations and its shift toward civilian engagement.
This move sparked widespread debate across digital platforms: some hailed it as a step toward peace, while others viewed it as a calculated, deceptive maneuver orchestrated by the Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood — a “tactical farce” aimed at repositioning Islamist forces in the state after years of domestic and international exclusion.
Historically, the “Barra bin Malik Battalion” is one of the most prominent armed wings born from the core of the Sudanese Islamic Movement. It is directly linked to the Popular Defense Forces, the ideological paramilitary arm of Omar al-Bashir’s former regime.
With the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023, the “Barra” fighters emerged at the frontlines in the capital and surrounding areas. They capitalized on public mobilization efforts and secretive support from remnants of the former regime and some senior military figures — notably Lt. Gen.
Yasser al-Atta, assistant to the commander-in-chief of the SAF and a member of the Sovereignty Council. The battalion provided thousands of fighters to the SAF, particularly at times when it suffered from severe manpower shortages.
Numerous reports have confirmed that Barra fighters were embedded in elite military units, including armored divisions, intelligence services, and central reserves. They were frequently praised for their “bravery and sacrifice” by none other than General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the army chief himself.
But as Sudanese citizens now ask: why announce this withdrawal now? The answer lies within the broader political context. This announcement comes shortly after the appointment of Dr. Kamal Idris — backed by the SAF and specifically by al-Burhan — as the head of a technocratic government, amid growing speculation about a renewed effort to “Islamize” Sudanese state institutions under a civilian façade meant to deceive the international community.
While some Islamists attempt to portray the battalion’s exit as a principled rejection of the war, many political observers and human rights advocates see it as nothing more than tactical evasion.
First, it seeks to dodge growing international pressure following mounting reports of atrocities committed by the battalion, including credible evidence of their use of chemical weapons against civilians. Second, it aims to infiltrate civil society through new guises —such as neighborhood committees, unions, and public service institutions. Third, and most critically, it serves to whitewash the battalion’s bloody history, particularly its alleged involvement in massacres like the Halfiya Massacre, where 33 volunteers were reportedly executed.
In accordance with international standards for demobilizing non-state armed groups, any declared withdrawal must include strict measures:
• Disarmament, registration, secure storage, or destruction of all weapons • Official demobilization and identity documentation of all fighters • Reintegration of eligible members into civilian life or national forces
under legal frameworks
However, no evidence suggests that the “Barra bin Malik Battalion” has followed these steps. On the contrary, field reports confirm that its members remain active in military installations, its leaders are embedded in security agencies, and some have even fled abroad — including commanders accused of torturing civilians and assassinating activists during earlier phases of the conflict.
At the very least, the Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and military leadership must launch an independent investigation before accepting any such withdrawal. Genuine reconciliation and under new names constitute a gross betrayal of both the Sudanese public and the international community.
Despite General al-Burhan’s public claims that the dissolved National Congress Party — the political arm of the Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood — would not return to power, reality tells a different story.
Many prominent Islamists have resurfaced in government roles, with quiet support from the army. This indicates that the SAF is shifting from a national military institution to a politically manipulated force seeking to reinstate its long-time Islamist allies — the very architects of the Sudan’s current civil strife and the 2019 coup against the civilian government of Abdalla Hamdok.
If we categorize these irregular forces fighting alongside the SAF as extremist jihadi militias, as their brutal methods shown on social media suggest — including torture, executions, and grotesque acts — then those aiding and arming them, especially the Muslim Brotherhood and senior army commanders, must also be held accountable. Their latest withdrawal statement is merely a ploy to feign a shift to post-war civilianize, without any accountability for war crimes and atrocities. But such theatrics no longer fool seasoned observers.
The case of the “Barra bin Malik Battalion” is now under scrutiny by multiple international bodies, following intelligence and media reports linking some of its leaders to terrorist groups like ISIL, as well as allegations of manufacturing prohibited weapons — possibly even within Khartoum University, a national academic landmark reportedly repurposed as a factory of death.
Ultimately, whatever the motives behind the withdrawal announcement, it must not be treated naively or at face value. A thorough, independent international investigation is imperative. Those responsible — especially individuals like Musbah Abu Zaid Talha — should be added to global sanctions lists, barred from reintegrating into state structures under fake civilian covers. Genuine transformation is not declared in statements — it must be enforced through transparent, accountable action.
Until then, the so-called withdrawal of the “Barra bin Malik Battalion” remains a suspicious maneuver, just another chapter in the old theater of deception mastered by the Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood. The Sudanese people, long familiar with such ploys, await not another act — but the final curtain on this devastating war, with accountability extended not just to the SAF and extremist militias, but especially to the “Barra” Battalion — the most dangerous and ideologically charged within the Sudan’s Islamist network.
