Sudan Faces Widespread Blackouts As Drone Strikes Hit Power Stations Across Country

Sudan’s power grid is nearing collapse after a wave of drone strikes blamed on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted electricity stations across army-controlled areas, disrupting essential services. The latest attacks on Monday hit substations in Aroma and New Halfa in Kassala State, triggering widespread blackouts. Sunday’s strikes had already knocked out facilities in Al-Dabbah and Abu Hamad.

According to rights group Emergency Lawyers, 15 substations have been targeted since early October. The outages have disrupted water supplies, businesses and hospitals. The Sudan Doctors Network warned that dialysis centres, blood banks and medicine and vaccine storage facilities were particularly vulnerable.

In Al-Dabbah, Sunday's explosion shortly after 4 am destroyed a substation and killed its guard, Mohammed al-Nour. Markets, hospitals and bakeries were affected, while diesel shortages left generators unusable. Farmers also face difficulties operating electricity-dependent irrigation pumps during the winter growing season. Abu Hamad's substation was destroyed without reported casualties.

Earlier attacks damaged the Um Dabakir thermal power station in White Nile State, destroying four transformers and damaging three generating units. The 500-megawatt plant was shut down, cutting White Nile and North Kordofan from the grid. A Friday strike destroyed transformers at Shendi's main substation and hit a reserve depot and army air defence hangar, injuring a soldier.

The Merowe Dam, with 1,250-megawatt capacity, now supplies over 70 per cent of Sudan's electricity. National generation has fallen from 4,400 megawatts before the war to around 1,100. Solar systems costing nearly USD 5,000 remain unaffordable for most households.

Sudan's Cabinet ordered maximum security alert and stronger protection for power facilities. The Foreign Ministry accused Ethiopia of allowing drone launches from its territory and filed complaints with the UN and African Union. It also alleged UAE supplied the drones. The UAE denies arming the RSF, which did not immediately comment.

The war, ongoing since April 2023, has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced around 13 million and pushed parts of Sudan into famine.