Washington D.C. — The United States has formally designated the "Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood" (SMB) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, with plans to list it as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation taking effect on 16 March, 2026.
In a statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio yesterday, he said the move targets the group for its role in civilian violence during Sudan's ongoing war.
"The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood uses unrestrained violence against civilians to undermine efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan and advance its violent Islamist ideology," he said.
'20,000 Fighters, mass executions'
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According to an accompanying statement by the US State Department, the SMB comprising the Sudanese Islamic Movement and its armed wing, the El Baraa Ibn Malik Brigade (BBMB), has deployed more than 20,000 fighters in the war, many trained and supported by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The State Department added that BBMB fighters have conducted mass executions of civilians in captured areas, targeting people on the basis of race, ethnicity, or suspected opposition links. Washington had previously sanctioned the brigade in September 2025.
'Sanctions and Iranian involvement'
The designation came as the United States and Israel continued their strikes against Iran, which began on 28 February, 2026. Rubio described Iran as "the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism" and vowed to use "all available tools" to cut off both Tehran and Muslim Brotherhood chapters from terror financing.
Under the designation, all SMB assets within US jurisdiction are immediately blocked, and American citizens and entities are barred from conducting business with the group. Third parties risk exposure to secondary sanctions.
'Sudan government response'
Sudan's Foreign Ministry welcomed yesterday's designation, reaffirming Khartoum's "principled and firm position in condemning all forms of terrorism and violent extremism, without exception or selectivity."
The government went further, stating that "all groups that violate international humanitarian law and commit terrorism, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan are classified as terrorist groups."
The ministry called on Washington to respond to "strong calls to designate the Rapid Support Forces as a terrorist group," accusing them of committing proven crimes, documented violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and terrorism.
'Reactions to designation'
US Presidential Adviser Massad Boulos hailed the designation as part of Washington's broader drive to counter terrorism and Iranian influence. "Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, the United States continues using all available tools to counter terrorism, counteract the malign influence of Iran, and hold accountable those who have perpetrated crimes against civilians in Sudan," he wrote in a post on X, yesterday.
Boulos also called on all warring parties to immediately accept a humanitarian truce to allow aid to reach civilians.
US Senator Jim Risch, chairman of the US Congress Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed the move but pressed further, calling on Washington to also designate the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which he said have committed genocide and carried out terrorist campaigns in Sudan.
RSF Commander Mohamed 'Hemedti' Dagalo, called the decision "a victory for the will of the Sudanese people" and "an essential step towards drying up the sources of extremism and terrorism," accusing the Brotherhood of igniting the April 2023 war and using internationally banned weapons.
On the civil and political front, Civil Democratic Alliance for Revolutionary Forces (Somoud), Nairobi Declaration Forces, and the Sudan Liberation Movement all welcomed the designation, with several noting they had campaigned for it for months. They called on other countries and international organisations to follow suit.
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Internationally, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen's Southern Transitional Council both welcomed the move, with the latter stressing that the Brotherhood's cross-border reach makes the designation a matter of regional and international security.
Lawyer Nafisa Hajar told Radio Dabanga the decision places the Islamic Movement "at a serious legal juncture," warning that its members embedded within the Sudanese Armed Forces create a legal impasse under US law.
Civil society groups, including the Emergency Lawyers, Sudanese Professionals and Trade Unions Coordination, and the Resistance Committees of El Gedaref, all welcomed the move, calling it long overdue and a step towards accountability for decades of political violence.
