The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) concluded a two-year siege of Burri, a central Khartoum neighborhood, in March 2025, according to a recent interview with researcher Niema Alhessen featured on the MERIP Podcast.
Alhessen, author of “Burri Under Siege—How War Remade Everyday Life in a Sudanese Neighborhood,” detailed the experiences of residents during the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) control of the area, beginning in April 2023. Her research, discussed in the podcast episode released March 10, 2026, focuses on how Burri’s inhabitants maintained essential services and negotiated for aid with both warring factions.
Burri’s strategic importance stems from its location, housing key political and military institutions, making it a focal point in the conflict between the SAF and the RSF. The siege transformed everyday life for residents, forcing them to rely on makeshift institutions and mutual aid networks to survive, Alhessen explained in the podcast. Residents actively sought to procure aid from both the SAF and the RSF, navigating a complex and dangerous landscape.
Alhessen’s work extends beyond the immediate crisis, examining the historical roots of Khartoum’s militarization. She argues that the current conflict is linked to the colonial history of Sudan under the Anglo-Egyptian condominium in the late nineteenth century, a period that laid the groundwork for the militarization of urban spaces. This historical context, explored in her article and referenced in the podcast, suggests the current conflict is not simply a recent development but a continuation of long-standing patterns.
The SAF’s retaking of Khartoum from the RSF, completed in April 2025 after over 23 months of fighting, marked a significant turning point in the civil war, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. However, the podcast interview with Alhessen highlights the lasting impact of the conflict on neighborhoods like Burri and the ongoing challenges faced by its residents.
The MERIP Podcast episode, hosted by James Ryan and Deen Sharp, builds on Alhessen’s research and includes discussion of related works, such as Ali Al-Arash’s “Bread, Books, and Bombs: Burri’s Spirit of Resistance, Knowledge, and Solidarity,” published by the ATAR Network in May 2025. Further context is provided by Marina D’Errico’s historical analysis of Khartoum and Omdurman’s urban development, and Khalid Mustafa Medani’s work on the broader struggle for Sudan.
