Burhan Rejects President Trump’s Plan to End the War in Sudan

 

The plan calls for an immediate truce between the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, permanent ceasefire, civilian-led political transition in Sudan, and sustained humanitarian access.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, have rejected President Donald Trump’s proposed plan to end Sudan’s devastating civil war.

Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged remarks made by US Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, who presented the proposal at the UN Security Council on Friday, but said that “did not mean Sudan will automatically accept or approve it.”

The American blueprint, pushed by Boulos, demands “an immediate humanitarian truce, sustained humanitarian access and protection of civilians, a permanent ceasefire and credible security arrangements, and an inclusive, civilian-led political transition.” Boulos claimed these measures would place Sudan on “a long-term path toward recovery and reconstruction that restores stability and opportunity for the Sudanese people.”

Burhan, too, opposed the US plan. Speaking at a military cadets’ graduation ceremony at Karary University in Khartoum, on Tuesday, the Sudanese army chief said military operations against Rapid Support Forces (RSF) will continue until the rebellion is eliminated or they surrender. He offered amnesty for those who lay down arms.

To cling to authority, Burhan has proclaimed that the only path to ending the war is either the RSF’s unconditional surrender or the SAF’s outright, total military triumph over its adversary.

The US plan stems from the Quad, an informal coalition comprising the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt, building on the Jeddah Agreement of May 2023, which both the SAF and its bitter rival, the RSF, had previously endorsed. Boulos even managed to drag the two warring factions, the SAF and RSF, into indirect talks in Washington, in October.

Until recently, al-Burhan stood isolated in his uncompromising demand for victory and continued military dominance in Sudan’s postwar era. But a dramatic shift occurred in January, triggered by escalating fallout between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Riyadh abandoned its earlier insistence on sidelining both the SAF and RSF from power, pivoting instead to fully endorse Burhan’s uncompromising “war until victory” stance.

This reversal crystallized at the Security Council session. After perfunctorily thanking Boulos for his conflict-ending efforts, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative, Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, downgraded the Quad’s initiative, describing it as merely “one element to support a purely Sudanese political process to create the appropriate conditions for reaching a sustainable solution.” This marked a Saudi retreat from prior commitments, reframing the Quad plan as unacceptable “foreign diktats” that must never be imposed on a “Sudanese-led political process… that preserves state institutions.” For Riyadh, those “state institutions” mean the SAF, which must crush the RSF, steer the political transition, and potentially entrench its grip on power indefinitely.

The Saudi reversal on Sudan first reared their head last month, when Riyadh funded arms procurement for SAF, enabling a reported $1.5 billion deal with Pakistan for advanced weaponry, including fighter jets such as JF-17s, light attack aircraft, over 200 drones, and sophisticated air defense systems. The move marked a decisive pivot from Riyadh’s earlier neutral mediation stance toward unequivocal support for al-Burhan’s forces, despite a UN arms embargo on all warring parties in Sudan and ongoing diplomatic efforts for peace.

But according to media reports, Pakistan balked at selling arms, particularly the J-17 fighter jets, to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), citing concerns over violating the UN arms embargo on Sudan.

Buying arms from Pakistan was only one way of shoring up SAF against RSF. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Egypt has been secretly operating a drone base in its Western Desert for at least six months, launching Turkish-made Akinci strikes against the RSF, according to satellite imagery, flight data, videos, and officials.

The intervention of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey on behalf of SAF has partially shifted the balance of the war. Following a string of defeats inflicted by RSF, including at al-Fasher, where the RSF is widely accused of committing war crimes, the SAF finally broke a months-long siege of Kadugli in South Kordofan state.

However, prevailing in a single battle does not guarantee the SAF ultimate victory in the broader conflict. Some experts believe that, given Sudan’s vast territory and the severe resource and manpower constraints facing both the SAF and RSF, outright victory for either side remains improbable. The most likely scenario is a prolonged stalemate, perpetuating a grinding civil war with no clear end in sight.