'Parties are meaningless': Leaked audio reveals Muslim Brotherhood's ambition in Sudan

CAIRO - 6 January 2020: An alleged recording of Mahdi Ibrahim, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan, was released Monday by al-Arabiya News, where the Islamist figure was discussing taking hold of the country.

"I think we should come out.. there is a compelling logic now. Because the old organization, name and shape carry the weight of so many misdeeds, an injustice inflicted on us by our rivals and enemies, we [need to] try to give it a new name. If we gave it a new name, large numbers of people will join us," Ibrahim says in the audio of the Saudi channel.

"When we launched the Islamic Charter Front, huge numbers joined us. In every stage, there is always an atmosphere that allows large numbers to join this entity. There is a very strong logic. Given the local, regional and international challenge, our country, Sudan, needs strong bodies that can carry Sudan and jump with it big leaps forward," he adds.

The Islamic Charter Front was formed in the 1960s in Sudan as an Islamist student group headed by Hassan al-Turabi, which later evolved to the National Islamic Front, which has strong links to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

"That is the logic that makes parties meaningless. When we pose this idea to the public, people will accept it. These parties cannot face the challenged faced by Sudan. Rightly, we have survived some of them, but the path ahead is thorny," Ibrahim continues.

Longtime Sudanese ruler Bashir was ousted by the military following mass demonstrations against him in April 2019. A sovereign council formed of military generals and civilian politicians will be in power until elections are held in 2022.