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Sudan: The Disturbing Rise of the Northern Shield Forces and Their Islamist Rhetoric
By: Charilogone Editorial StaffOn July 14, 2025, as the conflict in Sudan continued to escalate, a worrisome military actor attracted international attention: the Northern Shield Forces, led by Commander Mohamed Abdelhafis Hogla. A declared ally of General Al-Burhan's official Sudanese army, this group distinguished itself not only by its operations against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but also by its ideological discourse with transnational overtones.
In a video posted on social media, Hogla asserted that his troops would eradicate the RSF and all countries that supported them, calling for military mobilization in the name of Islam. He openly declares that their struggle is that of "all Muslims in the world" and sends a message of solidarity to the people of Gaza, affirming that their suffering is now his own.
But it is above all his promise to travel to Jerusalem to "liberate the Al-Aqsa Mosque from the hands of the Jews of Israel and their allies" that marks a worrying turning point. This project, presented as a religious and symbolic claim, risks fueling already volatile interfaith and regional tensions.
According to security and geopolitical experts, this discourse contains several dangerous elements: incitement to violence, glorification of the holy struggle, calls for the extension of the conflict beyond Sudan, and hate speech with a religious dimension. The Northern Shield Forces could thus evolve from a local army into a transnational radical group, possibly connected to other Islamist movements.
The international community is called upon to closely monitor this development. The stakes are no longer limited to the Sudanese military arena, but extend to regional stability and the fight against extremist ideologies. The spread of this type of online discourse, combined with unstable military alliances, represents a potentially explosive cocktail that diplomats, analysts, and mediators must take seriously.
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