Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Two Niles

{{Short description|Islamist militant organization in Sudan}}

{{Infobox militant organization

| name = Al-Qaeda in the Land of Two Niles

| image = Flag of Jihad.svg

| founders = Osama bin Laden

| leaders =

| dates = 1990s-2013

| country = {{flag|Sudan}}

| ideology = Salafi jihadism

| partof = {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} Al-Qaeda

| opponents = {{flag|Sudan}}

| succeeded by =

}}

Al-Qaeda in the Lands of the Two Niles ({{Langx|ar|تنظيم القاعدة في بلاد النيلين}}), abbreviated as AQTN, was a lesser-known regional offshoot of the broader al-Qaeda network, operating primarily in Sudan and neighbouring areas. Its origins can be traced back to the early 1990s when Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda, resided in Sudan. During his stay, bin Laden formed alliances with local Islamist factions and established training camps, laying the groundwork for a lasting militant presence in the region. Although bin Laden left Sudan in 1996, these early ties helped foster the development of AQTN.{{Cite book |last=Collins |first=Robert O. |title=A history of modern Sudan |date=2008 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-85820-5 |oclc=182563670 |ol=3284849W}}{{Cite web |title=Al-Qa'ida in the Lands of the Two Niles (AQTN) |url=https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/al-qaida-in-the-lands-of-the-two-niles-aqtn/ |website=Rewards for Justice Program |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=2024-09-08 |archive-date=2022-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629162325/https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/al-qaida-in-the-lands-of-the-two-niles-aqtn/ |url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last=Berner |first=Brad K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=smP3gFyQpXQC&dq=Al-Qaeda+in+the+Lands+of+the+Two+Niles+-wikipedia&pg=PA12 |title=The World According to Al Qaeda |date=2007 |publisher=Peacock Books |isbn=978-81-248-0114-7 |pages=12 |language=en}}

AQTN's activities are characterised by their connection to both local and international jihadist movements. The group has sought to exploit Sudan's ongoing conflicts, particularly in Darfur and the Nuba Mountains, to recruit fighters and establish safe havens. Sudan's political instability and porous borders have provided AQTN with opportunities to sustain its operations and align itself with other militant factions, such as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and al-Shabaab in Somalia. However, AQTN has remained a relatively low-profile organisation compared to other al-Qaeda affiliates, with fewer high-profile attacks attributed to it.{{Cite book |last1=Lesch |first1=Ann M. |last2=Lesch |first2=Ann Mosely |title=The Sudan: Contested National Identities |date=1998 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-21227-6 |oclc=49852117 |ol=29336950W |series=Indiana series in Middle East studies |location=Bloomington, Indiana}}{{Cite book |author1-last=Shinn |author1-first=David H. |date=2011 |chapter=East Africa and the Horn |pages=55–82 |title=Al-Qaida After Ten Years of War: A Global Perspective of Successes, Failures, and Prospects |editor1-last=Cigar |editor1-first=Norman |editor2-last=Kramer |editor2-first=Stephanie E. |publisher=Marine Corps University Press |isbn=978-0-16-090299-4 |oclc=793351446 |language=en}}

Despite its lower visibility, AQTN plays a strategic role in al-Qaeda's regional ambitions, particularly by acting as a logistical hub and providing ideological support for jihadist movements in East Africa. The group's presence in Sudan is also significant in light of the country's historical ties to Islamist militancy, though the current Sudanese government has sought to distance itself from these networks in recent years. AQTN's future remains uncertain, particularly as the dynamics of regional conflicts continue to shift.{{Cite book |last=Pazzanita |first=Anthony G. |title=Historical dictionary of Mauritania |date=2008 |publisher=the Scarecrow press |isbn=978-0-8108-5596-0 |edition=3rd |series=Historical dictionaries of Africa |location=Lanham (Md.)}}

Al-Salamah Group, part of the AQTN broader network, group attempted to carry out bombings in Khartoum in August 2007, targeting sites in the city's southern suburb. While the group succeeded in detonating at least one bomb, Sudanese authorities quickly dismantled the network. Mohamed Makkawi Ibrahim, on of the preparator. managed to evade capture during the crackdown and fled to the Darfur region, where he continued his involvement in jihadist activities.{{Cite web |title=Jihadi archives: Islamic State's eulogy of Sudanese jihadist Mohamad Makkawi Ibrahim {{!}} FDD's Long War Journal |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2024/07/jihadi-archives-islamic-states-eulogy-of-sudanese-jihadist-mohamad-makkawi-ibrahim.php |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=www.longwarjournal.org|date=5 July 2024 }}{{Cite web |date=2023-08-31 |title=Mohamed Makawi Ibrahim Mohamed |url=https://www.gfatf.org/archives/mohamed-makawi-ibrahim-mohamed/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=GFATF {{!}} Global Fight Against Terrorism Funding {{!}} Live and Let Live |language=en-US}} In January 2008, Makkawi and three associates carried out the assassination of John Granville, an American USAID official, and his Sudanese driver, Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama, in Khartoum.{{Cite web |date=2008-01-06 |title=VOA News - Extremist Group Claims Killing of American Diplomat in Sudan |url=http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-05-voa7.cfm |access-date=2024-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106185346/http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-05-voa7.cfm |archive-date=2008-01-06 }}{{Cite web |title=Murders of John Granville and Abdelrahman Abbas Rahama (Khartoum, Sudan {{!}} January 1, 2008) – Rewards For Justice |url=https://rewardsforjustice.net/rewards/murders-of-john-granville-and-abdelrahman-abbas-rahama-khartoum-sudan-january-1-2008/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |language=en-US}}

Other known leaders include Abu Hudhayfah al Sudani,{{Cite web |title=Analysis: Al Qaeda ideologue calls for jihad in Sudan, provides guidelines {{!}} FDD's Long War Journal |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2022/10/analysis-al-qaeda-ideologue-calls-for-jihad-in-sudan-provides-guidelines.php |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=www.longwarjournal.org|date=27 October 2022 }} and Abu Talha al-Sudani.{{Cite book |last=Downing |first=Wayne A. |title=Al-Qa-ida-s (Mis)Adventures in the Horn of Africa |publisher=DIANE Publishing Company |year=2009 |isbn=9781437918298 |pages=131 |language=en}}

In 2013, and after the killing of Osama bin Laden, he was mourned in Sudan by AQTN and al-Qaeda sympathisers.{{Cite web |last=SudanTribune |date=2013-01-11 |title=Al-Qaeda announces formation of its student wing in top Sudan university |url=https://sudantribune.com/article44368/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=Sudan Tribune |language=en-US}}