Eastern Sudan: Drone strikes knock out power in three states
Rapid Support Forces targeted five stations, leaving residents without electricity for days and threatening medical supplies and crops.
By Jasmine Reed ·
The Rapid Support Forces launched a coordinated drone attack on five power stations in eastern Sudan, causing widespread blackouts across three states. A government official speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed the strikes on Sunday, noting that the attacks resulted in power outages across large parts of the region.
The drones targeted two stations each in Al-Jazira and Gedaref, and one in White Nile state. All three areas remain under the control of the Sudanese army, which has been engaged in a war with the paramilitary group since April 2023. The conflict has increasingly relied on aerial warfare, with both sides using sophisticated drones to strike targets across the country.
Residents reported the impact immediately. Babiker Youssef, a resident of Al-Fao in Gedaref, said the power had been out since early morning. He noted that his son is diabetic and requires refrigeration for insulin. Youssef expressed fear that he would not be able to replace the medication if it spoiled while the grid remained down.
In Al-Junaid, Al-Jazira, farmer Abdelhafez Daafallah described the strike as a setback for local agriculture. He said the power station had just been repaired three months prior, allowing farmers to hope for the restart of irrigation pumps. Daafallah, 54, said he was frustrated after nearly four years of being unable to work his land following the army's recapture of the state from the RSF last year.
Commercial owners also face financial losses. Ibrahim Mohammed, a 37-year-old grocer in Gedaref, stated that he was already experiencing hours-long power cuts before the strike. He reported holding chicken in stock that requires refrigeration. Mohammed said he would either lose the entire inventory or be forced to sell it at a loss.
The United Nations has warned that regular attacks on power infrastructure threaten health services for millions of people facing the world's largest hunger crisis. In the first three weeks of October, drone strikes killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds more, according to UN data. Aid workers estimate the war has killed more than 200,000 people since it began.
Source: The Guardian
