Power Grid Struck: Drone Attacks Leave Sudan's East Without Electricity

More than 300 people were killed by drone strikes in the first three weeks of October, according to a United Nations tally. This violence has now extended to critical infrastructure, as the Rapid Support Forces launched a coordinated attack on five power stations across eastern Sudan on Monday. The strikes caused mass power outages in three army-controlled states: Al-Jazira, Gedaref, and White Nile.

A government official speaking on condition of anonymity stated that the drones hit two stations in Al-Jazira and two in Gedaref, with one additional target in White Nile. The official said the attacks resulted in power cuts across large parts of these regions. All three states remain under the control of the Sudanese army, which has fought the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. The two groups were formerly allied before their conflict erupted.

The United Nations has warned that repeated attacks on power infrastructure endanger the health and daily services for millions of people. These residents are already navigating the world's largest hunger crisis. Electricity has been cut for days at a time following previous paramilitary strikes on power plants and hydroelectric dams. The war is now primarily fought via drones, with both sides launching sophisticated attacks that kill dozens of civilians at once.

Babiker Youssef, a resident of Al-Fao in Gedaref, reported that power had been out since early morning. He said his son is diabetic and requires insulin storage in a refrigerator. Youssef expressed fear that the medication would spoil and could not be replaced. "We have no idea when the power will come back," he said.

Abdelhafez Daafallah, a 54-year-old farmer in Al-Junaid, Al-Jazira, noted that electricity had only begun to improve three months ago. He said a recently repaired power station had been destroyed by the militia, ending his hope for running irrigation pumps. Daafallah has been unable to work his land for nearly four years. Farmers in Al-Jazira have struggled to rehabilitate and replant their fields since the army recaptured the state from the Rapid Support Forces last year.

In Gedaref, Ibrahim Mohammed, a 37-year-old grocer, said he was already facing power cuts for hours before the latest strike. He reported having chicken in his refrigerator that faces spoilage. Mohammed said he must either lose his entire stock or sell it at any price, resulting in a financial loss. Sudan is currently dealing with high inflation, and its currency lost more than 25% of its value in recent weeks.

Sudan, Africa's third-largest country with an estimated 50 million people, has been devastated by the war. Aid workers estimate the conflict has killed more than 200,000 people. The majority of the country's hospitals have closed, at least 8 million children are out of school, and large swathes of the nation cannot access basic services.