Drone Strikes Disable Power in Eastern Sudan

On October 26, coordinated drone attacks attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit five power stations in Sudan’s eastern region. The strikes damaged facilities in the states of Sennar, Al Qadarif (also reported as Gedaref), White Nile and Gezira (also referred to as Al-Jazira), cutting electricity across roughly half of the territory currently held by the Sudanese army. The Sudan Electricity Holding Company said the attacks caused “severe damage” and “major destruction” to equipment, while a source from the Sudanese army indicated the drones were launched from Ethiopia. The RSF has not responded to requests for comment.

The Straits TimesThe GuardianRapid Support Forces Launch Drone Attacks on Five Major Power Stations in Sudan

The RSF and the Sudanese army have been fighting a civil war since April 2023 after their alliance fractured over the integration of paramilitary forces into a planned civilian transition. Both sides have increasingly relied on drones, with a series of strikes on the army-held capital Khartoum airport and RSF-controlled Nyala earlier this month. The power infrastructure has become a recurring target, and previous drone attacks have intermittently left large parts of the grid offline.

The Straits Times

Power was lost in towns and areas including Sinja, El Hawata, Al Fao, Mashkour and Al-Junayd. Residents reported that electricity had been out since before dawn. In Al-Fao, a father warned that his diabetic son’s insulin, stored in a refrigerator, risked spoiling. In Al-Jazira, a farmer said recent repairs to a power station had raised hopes for irrigation, only to be dashed by the latest strike. A grocer in Gedaref described losing refrigerated chicken stock, forcing him to sell at a loss. The United Nations has warned that repeated attacks on power infrastructure jeopardize health services for millions already facing the world’s largest hunger crisis.

The Guardian

A government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the coordinated nature of the attacks. The United Nations reiterated that attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law and threaten medical facilities and humanitarian workers. The RSF has not issued a statement, and Reuters could not independently verify the operator’s account.

Rapid Support Forces Launch Drone Attacks on Five Major Power Stations in Sudan

The UN tally for the first three weeks of October recorded more than 300 civilian deaths from drone strikes and hundreds of injuries. Overall war casualties are estimated at over 200,000, with the majority of Sudan’s hospitals forced to close, about 8 million children out of school, and supply chains severely disrupted. Inflation remains unprecedented, and the Sudanese currency has lost more than 25 % of its value in recent weeks, compounding the hardship caused by the power outages.

The Guardian