Breakfast of Islamists Timing and Connotations – The face of truth – ✍️ Ibrahim Shaqlawi
With the annual breakfast date for the Islamic movement in Sudan, which will be held tomorrow in the popular scene of the Sudan port, attention is directed to this event as a political station with internal and external messages which go beyond the social framework of the occasion. Since the fall of the Bashir regime in 2019, the Islamic trend has been formed as a political block which includes several Islamic parties and groups, including the Sudanese Islamic movement, to become one of the influential actors of the political scene, taking advantage of its favorable position of the army in the battle of dignity against the rapid support militia.
Despite their important presence on the political scene, the Islamists in Sudan – as leaders several times – claim that they seek to participate in power, except by legitimate elections, a position aimed at refusing the accusations of seeking to return to power through undemocratic arrangements. Their vision of the political process is based on the postponement of the Sudanese-Odan dialogue until the end of the war, because they see that priority at this stage must be to resolve the war militarily and restore the stability of the state before embarking on new political arrangements.
In light of this vision, the Islamic trend faces two challenges, on the one hand, there are calls to exclude it from the political process on the pretext of its responsibility for crises of the previous step, and on the other hand, there is a broad awareness that it represents a political and organizational weight difficult to overcome in any future provision. And between these two tendencies, the Islamists try to restore placement thanks to a discourse confirming their commitment to democratic legitimacy, in order to anticipate any effort to exclude them by political pretexts.
Despite the role that the Islamists played in the support of the armed forces, there are internal currents that require them to review their experience before the government before engaging in a new political process. On the other hand, the Islamic tendency believes that its exclusion will be a confiscation of the future of democracy, especially since it was not the only actor of the transition period which experienced accumulated crises which led to the current war.
Regionally, the Islamic trend in Sudan no longer works in isolation of the surrounding variables. In Syria, the Islamic trend has returned to the political scene with the rise of the siege for the release of Al-Sham in power with a regional and international consensus, which indicates that Islamists are always able to adapt to changing conditions. As for the Turkish experience, it has shown how an Islamic movement can maintain its presence thanks to a pragmatic approach that adapts to international equations, which can be an inspiring model for Sudanese Islamists in their attempt to reintegrate the political scene without entering into confrontation with regional and international actors.
In this context, expectations indicate that breakfast will constitute an opportunity to deliver several political, internal and external messages, the most important of which is, to underline the commitment to democratic legitimacy by adhering to not participating in power, except by free elections, which is a message sent both inside and outside. Likewise, reaffirm the postponement of political dialogue, which reflects the current position that the priority is now to resolve the war and restore the State, and not to enter into political understanding. It is also to prove existence as an effective and influential political force through the great crowd of mass in the first mass crowd after the start of war, to send a message that the Islamic trend is always a difficult number on the Sudanese scene. To also present a national or project initiative which brings together all the inhabitants of Sudan without excluding anyone.
These messages lead us to several possible scenarios, in particular by strengthening the political presence of Islamists, if they can transmit clear messages on their vision of the future, they can succeed in imposing themselves as a fundamental actor in future arrangements. Likewise, testing the extent of the acceptance of their discourse of other powers, as local and regional reactions will determine the success of the Islamic trend to present itself as an active party which can be treated. In addition to reorganizing future political alliances, whether by an implicit understanding with other powers, or by strengthening links with regional actors who look at the situation in Sudan. The important scenario is to underline the unity of their ranks, taking into account the political differences which have been recently revealed within the National Congress Party.
It is clear that this annual breakfast of the Islamic movement represents an important political station, in particular in the light of their posts declared on the support of the country’s leaders on the roadmap linked to the government of independent jurisdiction. It is according to what we see from the face of the truth, this breakfast represents a real test moment for the Islamic movement, because it will reveal its ability to adapt to scene variables, and to determine if it will continue as a traditional current depending on its history, or we will adopt a new approach which reflects the nature of the transformations observed by Sudan and the region, letting us wait.
You are fine and well.
Saturday March 15, 2025 AD. (Protected by e-mail)
