Morocco's King Says Determined to React Against Any Security Threat

Morocco's King Mohammed VI (C), flanked by his brother Prince Moulay Rachid (R) and son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, speaks to the nation, last July. (AFP)
Morocco's King Mohammed VI (C), flanked by his brother Prince Moulay Rachid (R) and son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, speaks to the nation, last July. (AFP)
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Morocco's King Says Determined to React Against Any Security Threat

Morocco's King Mohammed VI (C), flanked by his brother Prince Moulay Rachid (R) and son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, speaks to the nation, last July. (AFP)
Morocco's King Mohammed VI (C), flanked by his brother Prince Moulay Rachid (R) and son Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, speaks to the nation, last July. (AFP)

Morocco's King Mohammed VI warned Monday that his country will respond in self-defense against any threat to his country's security. This came during a phone conversation the King held with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres over the situation in Guerguerat.

King Mohammed stressed that Morocco will take necessary measures to keep order and protect safety and fluidity of passenger and commercial traffic in border area between Morocco and Mauritania.

Morocco, however, also remains "firmly determined to react, with the greatest severity, and in self-defense, against any threat to its security,” the king said, quoted in an official statement.

"Morocco took its responsibility in line with its legitimate right after the UN Secretary-General failed in its laudable attempts to end the unacceptable acts of the Polisario," he noted.

Morocco will continue supporting UN efforts to find a political solution on the basis of clear criteria and with the participation of real parties to this regional conflict in order to find a realistic, feasible solution within Morocco’s sovereignty, he added.

“Morocco restored the situation, proceeded to a lasting settlement of the problem and guaranteed resumption of traffic flow.”

For its part, the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed support to Morocco in a tweet.

“The government of the Federal Republic of Somalia stands alongside the brotherly Kingdom of Morocco in all the measures it undertakes to protect its security and sovereignty over its territories at the Guerguerat crossing point between Morocco and Mauritania.”

Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia issued a press release on Monday to hail Morocco’s “peaceful and decisive intervention” to secure the region after Polisario and its supporters staged illegal protests in the region.

The West African country also said it supports the UN-led political process to find a political solution to the Western Sahara conflict.

Moreover, President of the Pan-African Parliament Roger Nkodo Dang has sent a letter to the African Union foreign ministers to draw their attention to the maneuvers of the 3rd Vice President of the PAP Jamal Bouras against the interests of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The authoritarian abuses of Bouras, who acts as the president without rotation, have created a serious institutional and functional crisis within the Pan-African Parliament, Dang underlined in the letter.

The president, blocked in Cameroon, stressed that all decisions, declarations, and actions taken outside what is provided for by the texts in force, cannot be considered as reflecting the position of the PAP or its legitimate bodies.



Islamist Leader in Sudan’s Former Ruling Party Eyes Power After War

Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)
Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)
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Islamist Leader in Sudan’s Former Ruling Party Eyes Power After War

Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)
Ahmed Haroun, chairman of the National Congress Party (NCP), which ruled during the presidency of ousted leader Omar al-Bashir. (Reuters)

A senior figure in Sudan’s dissolved ruling party has revealed that the country’s Islamist movement is preparing for a return to power once the ongoing conflict ends, even if it means supporting prolonged military rule in the interim.

The remarks, made by Ahmed Haroun, former head of the National Congress Party and one of four Sudanese figures wanted by the International Criminal Court, reflect growing confidence among Islamists following their military involvement in the war.

The war, now in its third year, pits Sudan’s army against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and has triggered massive displacement, famine, and ethnic violence. Despite the RSF holding strategic ground in Darfur and parts of southern Sudan, the army has recently gained momentum on multiple fronts.

Islamist factions claim credit for assisting in these advances, contributing fighters and logistical support.

According to military and government sources, the Islamist movement has been increasingly visible on the battlefield.

These networks, dismantled following the 2019 uprising that ousted Omar al-Bashir, have resurfaced amid the chaos of war.

A leaked party document reviewed by Reuters outlines the movement’s growing role, stating that between 2,000 and 3,000 Islamist fighters were mobilized in the conflict’s first year, with over 70,000 civilians trained for combat under the army’s call for general mobilization.

While military leadership has downplayed connections to political factions, army sources and Islamists alike acknowledge that coordination exists, particularly within elite units where Islamist-trained operatives are embedded. Islamist forces have reportedly reinforced dwindling army ranks, especially in key battles around the capital, Khartoum.

Ahmed Haroun, who escaped from prison at the onset of the conflict, proposed a governance model that preserves military control over national sovereignty and security, with a civilian prime minister emerging from future elections.

He insisted that Islamists will only return through elections, not via transitional arrangements, and argued that Sudan needs a tailored political model that accommodates military involvement due to ongoing security threats and foreign interference.

While denying the scale of Islamist involvement described in the leaked documents, Haroun admitted that supporting the army was part of a broader strategy in response to the national call for mobilization.

Military sources estimate that at least 5,000 fighters directly linked to the former ruling party are active, with many serving in specialized units or intelligence services.

Despite these developments, Haroun and other Islamist figures maintain that they do not wield authority over the army. Still, their growing influence on the battlefield and political landscape has sparked renewed concerns about the possible resurgence of Sudan’s old guard in the post-war order.