Sudan Paramilitary Drone Strikes Cause Mass Power Cuts
Recent drone strikes targeting power stations
The drones hit two power stations in Al-Jazira state, two in Gedaref, and one in White Nile state. This immediate assault plunged wide areas of all three provinces into darkness. The Sudanese military currently controls these eastern regions. The brutal conflict between the army and its former RSF allies continues relentlessly since April 2023.
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The United Nations has repeatedly warned about the grave dangers of systematic attacks on energy infrastructure. Millions of citizens already struggle against the worst hunger crisis worldwide. Residents in the affected areas quickly felt the direct impact of the blackout.
Babiker Youssef, living in the town of Al-Fao within Gedaref, reported that electricity vanished in the early morning hours. His son suffers from diabetes and urgently needs refrigeration for his insulin. Youssef feared the vital medication would spoil if the blackout dragged on. He stated over the phone that residents had no idea when the power would return.
Recent drone strikes targeting power stations and hydroelectric dams have caused outages lasting several consecutive days. The ongoing war in Sudan relies heavily on aerial combat. Both warring factions launch sophisticated drone strikes across the country, frequently killing dozens of civilians at once.
As Africa’s third-largest nation with an estimated
According to United Nations figures, drone attacks killed over 300 people and injured hundreds more during the first three weeks of October alone.
As Africa’s third-largest nation with an estimated population of 50 million, Sudan lies in ruins. Humanitarian workers estimate that the war has already cost over 200,000 lives. The vast majority of the nation's hospitals have been forced to close down entirely. At least eight million children are out of school, and large swaths of territory lack access to basic services.
Abdelhafez Daafallah, a 54-year-old farmer in Al-Jazira, spoke by phone from the town of Al-Junaid. He explained that electricity had only begun improving three months ago. Crews had just repaired the local station destroyed by militants, and farmers hoped irrigation pumps would finally function again. They wished to resume agriculture, but the station was struck once more. Daafallah expressed deep frustration after nearly four years of being unable to cultivate his land. Farmers in Al-Jazira have struggled to rehabilitate and replant their fields ever since the army recaptured the state from the RSF last year.
Further east in Gedaref state, 37-year-old merchant Ibrahim Mohammed noted that he already dealt with hours-long power cuts before the drone strikes occurred. He explained that he now has chicken spoiling in his refrigerator. Business owners must either lose their entire stock or sell it at any price, which still guarantees a major loss.
Meanwhile, Sudan faces unprecedented inflation, and the national currency has lost over 25 percent of its value in recent weeks.
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