Sudan Civil War al-Burhan Surrender Demand 2025: A Nation Turning Into Ghost Towns

Shaking hands but keeping fists clenched. As of December 29, 2025, Sudan's brutal civil war shows no sign of cooling down. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), issued a stark ultimatum during his visit to Ankara: the war will only end with the total "surrender" of the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This maximalist stance effectively kills any hope for a short-term political settlement, leaving millions of civilians in the crossfire.

Sudan Civil War al-Burhan Surrender Demand 2025 and Humanitarian Collapse

While generals talk of surrender, the civilian population is simply trying to survive. According to Al Jazeera, nearly 12 million people are living in limbo. In cities like Kosti, families are sleeping rough and surviving on boiled lentils. The Sudanese Red Crescent reports a critical shortage of basic medicine and food for children, warning that local capacities have been completely overwhelmed.

The crisis is deepening as international aid evaporates. The United Nations slashed its 2026 funding appeal to $23 billion—less than half of previous requests—following major cuts from the US, UK, and Germany. The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that rations for the 21 million people facing starvation will be cut by up to 70%.

Drones and Siege Warfare in North Kordofan

The battlefield is expanding into strategic regions like North Kordofan and Darfur, turning once-vibrant towns into ghost towns. In South Kordofan, the RSF has maintained an airtight siege on Kadugli and Dilling for over 18 months.

Unable to breach the mountainous defenses easily, the RSF and its allies are now deploying drones and heavy artillery to shell urban centers. This shift toward high-tech siege warfare has made displacement inevitable and return impossible, as the infrastructure of daily life systematically collapses under constant bombardment.