Media War Deepens Division Among Muslim Brotherhood’s Foreign Fronts

Muslim Brotherhood trial in Egypt (File photo: AFP)
Muslim Brotherhood trial in Egypt (File photo: AFP)
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Media War Deepens Division Among Muslim Brotherhood’s Foreign Fronts

Muslim Brotherhood trial in Egypt (File photo: AFP)
Muslim Brotherhood trial in Egypt (File photo: AFP)

Muslim Brotherhood of foreign fronts exchanged accusations after the conflict arose between the “Istanbul Front” led by former Sec-Gen Mahmoud Hussein and the “London Front” led by acting leader Ibrahim Munir.

The crisis heightened after the London Front formed a new Shura Council, dismissing six members of the Istanbul Shura, including Hussein himself.

The new council replaced the one in Istanbul. It was elected in the presence of officials residing in Turkey and affiliated with the Istanbul Front and several leaders living in European countries.

In response, the Istanbul Front issued a statement claiming that “Munir’s front weakens and divides the Brotherhood,” accusing it of using social media to publish false allegations and information.

The Brotherhood's Guidance Office in London recently ignited the dispute after it called upon the "Istanbul Front" to offer allegiance to Munir as the acting leader.

The Istanbul Shura Council formed the "Acting Committee of the General Shura" led by Mustafa Tolba and dismissed Munir from his position.

In response, the “London Front” dismissed Tolba, declaring in a statement that it “did not recognize the decisions of the Istanbul Front or the so-called General Shura Council.”

It asserted that “the organization’s legitimacy is represented by Munir only, and that any assignment to Tolba requires accountability,” adding that the committee in question is invalid.

Istanbul Front responded in a statement confirming its adherence to the General Shura Council of the organization in Istanbul, calling on all its members to “abide by the decisions of the Shura.”

It stressed that “Mustafa Tolba will remain in his position,” rejecting Munir’s decision to dismiss him.

Notably, Munir previously dissolved the Administrative Office for Organization Affairs in Turkey and dismissed Hussein and others for creating the crisis by announcing the "Hussein Group" more than once to dismiss the current leader.

Expert in the affairs of fundamentalist movements in Egypt, Ahmed Zaghloul said that the two fronts are in conflict now amid strong divisions, with each side claiming legitimacy.

Zaghloul told Asharq Al-Awsat that the only option for the Brotherhood abroad is to exchange accusations through statements to settle organizational issues and manage personal differences.

Muslim Brotherhood no longer has any political project, especially with its issues with several countries and losing all power and influence, stated Zaghloul, adding that both groups have no choice but to mobilize the media.

Zaghloul believes this would continue in the coming period, pointing out that “it has been going on for a while,” noting that the organization is now weak without any political project.



Sudanese Stakeholders Hold Roundtable Talks in Geneva

A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
TT

Sudanese Stakeholders Hold Roundtable Talks in Geneva

A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)
A previous meeting of the coordination of Tagadum with the officials of the African Mechanism in Addis Ababa. (Tagadum on Facebook)

Geneva has hosted a third “roundtable” of meetings involving Sudanese political and civil groups aimed at bridging the gap between the country’s warring parties. These talks, coordinated by the French organization Promediation, follow similar meetings held previously in Cairo and Geneva. The primary goals are to negotiate a ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian aid to civilians.

The two-day meetings, which began on Monday, include representatives from the Coordination of Democratic Civil Forces (Tagadum), the pro-army Democratic Bloc coalition, and armed movements aligned with the bloc. However, some groups have announced their boycott of the meetings.

The Democratic Bloc has shown conflicting stances on attending the Geneva talks. Mohammed Zakaria, spokesperson for the bloc and a member of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), announced his group’s decision not to participate.

Omar Khalafallah, a leader in the Democratic Unionist Party and another bloc spokesperson, refuted Zakaria’s statement, insisting that the bloc would attend the meetings to promote a national vision.

A source within the Democratic Bloc told Asharq Al-Awsat that the meetings revealed significant internal divisions in the coalition. The JEM, led by current Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim, appears to be charting its own course, which the source described as a form of defection.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sharif Mohammed Osman, a leader in Tagadum and the political secretary of the Sudanese Congress Party, explained that the meetings seek to achieve consensus on ending the war through negotiated solutions, starting with a humanitarian truce to ensure aid delivery and the opening of safe corridors.

These measures are considered preliminary steps toward a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict, he underlined.

A wide array of civilian leaders are participating in the talks, including key figures from Tagadum, such as Sudanese Congress Party leader Omar Al-Dukair, Federal Gathering Party leader Babiker Faisal, and head of the Sudan Liberation Movement – Transitional Council Al-Hadi Idris.

Osman expressed optimism that the participants would issue a unified final statement addressing the peaceful resolution of the war and agreeing on a humanitarian truce to facilitate aid delivery.

In October, Cairo hosted a similar meeting, which resulted in a final statement signed by the participating groups, except for the Sudan Liberation Movement – Minni Minnawi faction and the JEM – Jibril Ibrahim faction, which refused to endorse the Cairo declaration despite attending the discussions.

Promediation, a French organization supported by the French and Swiss foreign ministries, has played a consistent role in Sudanese affairs. Since June 2022, it has organized roundtable discussions, initially focusing on negotiations between Darfuri armed movements before expanding its scope to include Sudanese political and civil forces in the wake of the war.