Islamic State eyes Sudan as a new East Africa front

The Islamic State (IS) has renewed its call for jihad in Sudan, signaling an effort to expand its footprint into the country amid a rapidly deteriorating civil war. According to reporting by The Long War Journal (LWJ), IS used an editorial in its weekly Al-Naba publication to urge Muslims — particularly foreign fighters from neighboring countries including Egypt and Libya — to migrate to Sudan and join its cause.

IS’s editorial denounces nationalism as a divisive force undermining Muslim unity, accusing regional governments of prioritizing “political interests” over the “suffering of Muslim communities.” The group now frames Sudan as a “fertile” battleground, inviting foreign jihadists to abandon nationalist loyalties and leverage the conflict to build a lasting base for military operations.

The renewed propaganda push comes as Sudan’s civil war accelerates toward full state collapse. Fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), ongoing since April 2023, has left large parts of the country effectively ungoverned. Widespread violence, mass displacement, and unprecedented levels of human rights abuses have pushed Sudan into what humanitarian organizations describe as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The RSF now controls most of Darfur and recently seized El Fasher, the SAF’s final major stronghold in the region, after a devastating offensive. Human rights organizations have documented grave atrocities, including summary executions, ethnically targeted killings, and systematic looting, resulting in a massive wave of displacement.

This growing governance vacuum has created opportunities for extremist networks to seek influence, mirroring previous crises in Iraq, Syria, and the Sahel, where IS and its affiliates embedded themselves as self-styled protectors of vulnerable Muslim populations.

LWJ notes that the latest call to Sudan appears to be a follow-up to a recruitment initiative launched in January. With limited evidence that the initial appeal generated significant momentum, IS is now focusing heavily on attracting foreign fighters to secure a more durable presence in the country.

Beyond Sudan, IS maintains an active presence across several African theaters. In northern Somalia, the group’s Puntland faction remains entrenched in the Almiskad mountains and continues to clash with Puntland security forces, who receive U.S. and UAE air support.

Speaking at the 57th session of the Puntland parliament, the region’s president Said Abdullahi Deni recently said more than 2,000 foreign fighters are currently in Puntland. IS-Somalia is increasingly viewed as a financial and logistical hub for the organization’s wider African network, facilitating the movement of weapons, funds, and personnel.

Further down the region, Islamic State-aligned militants in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province have escalated their insurgency. Fighters have expanded into new districts, abducted civilians, and seized villages while enforcing their radical interpretations of Sharia law. The group has displaced more than 100,000 people. Despite brutal tactics including beheadings and child conscription, recruitment persists, fueled by economic desperation, local grievances, and distrust of state authorities.

It is widely believed that a successful IS expansion into Sudan could dramatically reshape regional security dynamics, linking jihadist operations from East Africa to the Sahel and potentially forming a continuous arc of instability stretching across the region. Neighboring states such as Chad, South Sudan, and Ethiopia could face heightened cross-border threats, while international counterterrorism forces would be compelled to confront another complex and volatile front.

Sudan now faces unprecedented levels of instability. Foreign fighters, including mercenaries from as far as Colombia, continue to pour into the conflict, while prospects for peace remain distant. IS’s renewed call for jihad is raising fresh alarm, as Sudan’s deepening chaos provides precisely the type of environment the group has exploited elsewhere, with devastating consequences.

Our coverage of the situation in Sudan continues. Read earlier reports here:

1. “RSF and allied Militias have committed Genocide,” U.S. tells UN

2. US lawmakers urge terror designation for Sudan’s RSF following reported El Fasher Atrocities

3. UN, Aid agencies sound alarm as RSF accused of Ethnic killings and looting in El Fasher

4. El-Fasher: a city abandoned to horror

5. RSF claims capture of Sudanese army headquarters in El-Fasher

6. U.S. leads high-level Quad meeting to push for peace in Sudan

7. Sudan doctors warn of rising child deaths as famine and siege devastate El Fasher

8. UN agencies sound alarm over worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan

9. Hemedti threatens to target regional Airports “aiding” Sudanese army

10. US intensifies engagement with Sudan amid worsening humanitarian crisis

11. New report uncovers RSF-Linked UAE business empire