Report: SPT
As regional and international efforts continue to contain the catastrophic war in Sudan, Islamists are racing against time on multiple fronts to obstruct peace initiatives and undermine stability. At the center of these maneuvers emerges the name of Salah Mohamed Abdullah “Salah Gosh”, the former director of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), who is seeking to form a new militia to be thrown into the conflict that has raged since April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
International Sanctions and Islamist Escalation
In December 2023, the United States imposed sanctions on Salah Gosh for his role in undermining peace, security, and stability in Sudan. In September 2024, the European Union imposed similar sanctions, and just three days ago renewed them for another year, accusing him of fueling the war and destabilizing the country.
According to political and security sources who spoke to SPT, Gosh is using politician Mohamed Sayed Ahmed al-Jakoumi as a front to establish a militia that disguises itself with regional and ethnic slogans, claiming to represent northern Sudan, while in reality it is a purely Islamist force.
Al-Jakoumi and the Militia Announcement
On July 25, al-Jakoumi announced the formation of a new militia, stating that he aimed to train 50,000 fighters from northern Sudan. He told the media that he had obtained the approval of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to open camps inside Eritrea to train these forces, adding that the training would be conducted in batches until the target number was reached.
On August 18, al-Jakoumi appeared in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, and circulated photos of himself with President Afwerki, saying he had discussed with officials there the arrangements for training his planned military forces.
However, a political activist from the Northern State , who preferred to remain anonymous told SPT that al-Jakoumi had attempted over the past three months to promote the militia among young people in the region, but faced outright rejection. He added: “Everyone knows who al-Jakoumi is and who stands behind him.”
The source stressed that al-Jakoumi had long been a close associate of Salah Gosh since the latter was director of intelligence, saying: “He used him to infiltrate political forces, and was even subjected to staged arrests at times to polish his image.”
Political Background and Contradictory Statements
A defector from the Sudan Liberation Movement, led by Minni Arko Minnawi, told SPT that Salah Gosh was the architect of what became known as the “Northern Track,” headed by al-Jakoumi, which participated in the Juba Peace Agreement signed in October 2020. But al-Jakoumi was later excluded after some of the armed movements discovered his role and seized all the positions for themselves.
The source added that al-Jakoumi’s current activities on behalf of Gosh represent a continuation of his earlier efforts to secure a foothold in power for Gosh, which he lost with the fall of Omar al-Bashir’s regime. He confirmed that he had personally confronted al-Jakoumi with this fact, but al-Jakoumi denied it.
In a phone call with SPT, al-Jakoumi reacted angrily when asked about working as an agent for Salah Gosh, saying: “Those who repeat this accusation are fools. I am not a puppet or a chess piece moved by others. I am part of the Sudanese revolution, and I fought to topple Omar al-Bashir.”
He added: “Salah Gosh does not need me for anything, because if he wants to do something, he won’t consult anyone , he will do it himself.”
Yet, in a fit of anger, he admitted that he had considered training his forces in Eritrea but then backtracked: “We changed our mind now.”
He confirmed that his forces were currently undergoing training but refused to disclose the location, saying only: “We have a unified force working under the army’s command. You will see it soon.” He declined to answer further questions.
Investments in Port Sudan, Camps in Eritrea
A military source in Port Sudan confirmed to SPT that al-Jakoumi’s role had ended, saying: “Now the real owner of the forces has taken charge.”
Meanwhile, a retired security officer told SPT that Salah Gosh continues to maintain a presence in the Sudanese scene, relying on his networks inside the military and security apparatus. He explained that Gosh currently manages a variety of investments through business associates loyal to him, including fuel and gold trading, in addition to marketing products from his factory in Sudan and owning a tomato paste factory in Egypt.
The source added that Gosh has recently been making frequent visits to Eritrea, and that a group of eight former security officers working with him have settled there to oversee preparations for setting up the training camp and managing troop transfers.
While some sources confirmed that the training camp had already made significant progress and entered the implementation stage, others said the project faced obstacles. However, a security source emphasized that the Eritrean leadership had indeed approved the establishment of the camp and had even specified its location inside the Sawa Defense Training Center, a military academy in Eritrea’s Gash-Barka region, where conscripts and national service recruits undergo basic training.
Amid the complexities of Sudan’s war and the entanglement of regional and international interests, Salah Gosh’s maneuvers through his networks inside the military and security services, his political fronts allied with the Port Sudan authority, and his allies within the Islamist movement , pose a direct threat to efforts to achieve peace and stability. With his determination to re-establish himself by forming new militias with external backing, fears are mounting that the war will be prolonged and the cycle of violence reproduced, leaving the Sudanese people as the greatest losers.
