Armed Groups in Sudan's War: Liwa al-Furqan

Interview

The war in Sudan, which began in 2023, has recently attracted considerable media attention in light of the capture of El Fasher in north Darfur by the ‘Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF), which broke off from the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and is backed by the UAE. Much of this coverage justifiably focuses on shock and outrage at massacres and violations committed by members of the RSF.

Something arguably missing in the wider coverage is an attempt to understand the motivations and aims of the main warring sides. Such understanding could be realised by trying to reach out to combatants and interviewing them. For example, many supporters of the RSF rhetorically frame the fight as one against ‘Islamism’ and/or the Muslim Brotherhood. Is there any truth to this claim?

I was recently doing some side work tracking supporters of the SAF and auxiliary groups aligned to it and came across one SAF auxiliary group called Liwa al-Furqan (‘The Furqan Brigade’- named for a chapter in the Qur’an). I was able to reach out to someone in Sudan’s intelligence apparatus linked to the brigade in order to learn more about the group and its motivations for fighting. The interview, conducted on 16 November, is slightly edited for clarity.

Emblem of Liwa al-Furqan. On bottom: “Bravery, intrepidness, steadfastness.”