The US State Department announced on Monday that it has designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a 'terrorist' organization, as the administration of President Donald Trump widens its crackdown on the group. The State Department alleged that the group has received support from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), framing the move as part of a broader pressure campaign.

Washington labeled the organization as a 'specially designated global terrorist' (SDGT) and stated it will formally designate it as a 'foreign terrorist organization' (FTO) starting next week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in a statement: 'The Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood uses unrestrained violence against civilians to undermine efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan and advance its violent Islamist ideology.'

The SDGT designation enables the imposition of economic sanctions against the group, while the FTO label makes it illegal to provide material support. The State Department accused Muslim Brotherhood fighters in Sudan—where the Sudanese military is engaged in conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group—of conducting 'mass executions of civilians.'

The RSF, which has itself been accused of major human rights violations, and its supporters often argue they are combating Muslim Brotherhood forces. On Monday, the United Arab Emirates, a key regional ally of the US regime, welcomed Washington's move to blacklist the group in Sudan. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the 'US measure reflects the sustained and systematic efforts undertaken by the administration of President Trump to halt excessive violence against civilians and the destabilizing activities carried out by the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan.'

The Muslim Brotherhood, established in 1928 by Egyptian Muslim scholar Hassan al-Banna, has offshoots and branches across the Middle East, including political parties and social organizations. The group and its affiliates say they are committed to peaceful political participation. In the US and other Western countries, right-wing activists have for years attempted to demonize Muslim immigrant communities and critics of Israel with accusations of links to the Muslim Brotherhood. Some of Trump's hawkish allies in Congress have also for years been calling for the group to be blacklisted, highlighting the domestic political dimensions of this foreign policy decision.

Source: www.aljazeera.com