Sudan’s islamists expand the war erena… Details
The Islamic group in Sudan has established a number of training camps in the neighboring state of Eritrea, amid increasing rates of arming and militarization within the states of eastern Sudan, under the name of the Popular Resistance led by the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organization (The Kezans), representing the ousted regime. This has raised concerns among citizens in the region, which has witnessed deadly tribal conflicts in recent years.
According to sources cited by Radio Dabanga, (6) training camps have been established in the Qash Barga region in neighboring Eritrea, hosting (5) armed groups from eastern Sudan and a sixth from Darfur.
In a related context, the Deputy Head of the Sovereignty Council, Malik Agar, visited the Eritrean capital, Asmara, last Wednesday. He announced in a tweet on the “X” platform that his talks with President Afwerki addressed the political situation and issues related to the Sudanese internal affairs. They also discussed the security and stability of the eastern states adjacent to Eritrea, and the strategy of not allowing the war to extend to them.
Activists, journalists, and researchers have warned of the serious consequences of establishing training camps outside Sudan, pointing out their social and political impacts.
They emphasized that creating training camps for armed movements and groups from eastern Sudan in Eritrea is extremely dangerous, considering it a threat not only to the security and stability of eastern Sudan but also to Sudan’s national security. This comes amidst the ongoing war and escalating fears that it may lead to the country’s disintegration, in addition to its role in fueling tribal conflicts.
Among the armed groups that established training camps in Eritrea is the East Sudan Liberation Forces, which declared itself in December last year. The movement’s leader, Ibrahim Dania, outlined the movement’s goals in defending civilians in eastern Sudan in case the war expands and reaches the east, to avoid similar violations to what happened in civilian areas after the army’s withdrawal.
The United Popular Front for Liberation and Justice, led by Secretary Dawood, also established a similar camp in the Qash region and began attracting soldiers to the camp.
According to related sources, the list of entities that established training camps includes the Baja Conference, led by the Brotherhood member Musa Mohamed Ahmed, an assistant to the former President Omar al-Bashir. The conference has started mobilizing its former soldiers to join the training camps.
Among the entities that established camps is the Armed Wing of the Baja Conference, led by Mohamed Tahir, the last Prime Minister during Omar al-Bashir‘s era, along with a fifth group with no specific name, most of its soldiers coming from the Red Sea state.
From Darfur, hundreds of soldiers from the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minnawi participated in camps in western Eritrea, as part of special forces training and advanced training courses.
