Cairo: Drone strikes reportedly hit five electricity facilities in southeastern Sudan on Monday, disrupting power supplies across several areas and raising concerns about the stability of the country's electricity grid. Sudan Electricity Holding Company blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the attacks.
The company identified the targeted facilities as being in Sinja, El Hawata, Al Fao, Mashkour and Al Junaid. It said the damage had caused widespread electricity outages and warned that the disruption could threaten the stability of the national grid.
According to the electricity company, the outages affected Sennar, Al Qadarif, White Nile and Gezira states. However, initial reports from Agence France Presse identified disruptions in three states. The full geographical extent of the power cuts remained unclear.
Responsibility for the attacks had not been independently verified. The RSF had not immediately responded to a request for comment, and the full extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Local reports provided further details about the attacks. A drone reportedly struck the El Geneid transformer station in eastern Gezira at about 2.30 am local time. The state government also confirmed an attack on the Singa transformer station in Sennar, where security guards were reportedly injured.
Other reported targets included electricity facilities in Al Fao and El Hawata in Gedaref state, as well as the Mashkour facility in White Nile state. The attacks reportedly damaged electrical equipment and disrupted supplies, although the extent of the damage at each location had not been fully established.
The electricity company said engineering and technical teams were being sent to assess the damage and begin repair work. No confirmed timeline had been given for restoring electricity to all affected areas.
The outages have raised concerns about the impact on households, healthcare and agriculture. Electricity is essential for preserving medicines, operating water pumps and supporting businesses. Prolonged disruptions could make these activities more difficult for communities that have limited access to alternative power sources.
Agence France Presse reported that Babiker Youssef, a resident of Al Fao, was worried about his son, who required insulin that needed to be kept refrigerated. He expressed concern that the medicine could spoil if the electricity supply was not restored.
The report also highlighted concerns about farming. Farmer Abdelhafez Daafallah described the effects of the disruption on agricultural activities. Damage to electricity facilities can interrupt irrigation pumps and make it harder for farmers to maintain their work, although the wider extent of agricultural losses from the latest attacks remained unclear.
The reported strikes follow another attack on electricity infrastructure on 20 October. A drone reportedly struck the Tendelti power transformer station in western White Nile state, causing a fire and disrupting electricity supplies in Tendelti and parts of North Kordofan state.
The repeated reports of attacks on electricity facilities have raised concerns about the security of essential infrastructure during Sudan's ongoing conflict. Damage to power networks can affect communities beyond the immediate strike locations, particularly when facilities supply several towns or connect important parts of the electricity system.
The United Nations has also expressed concern about attacks on critical infrastructure in Sudan. A spokesperson for the UN Secretary General referred to the reported strike on the Tendelti power facility and stressed the importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF began in April 2023 and has caused widespread displacement, infrastructure damage and severe humanitarian difficulties. Fighting has disrupted essential services in many parts of the country, making access to electricity, healthcare and other basic needs increasingly challenging for civilians.
The latest power disruptions add to these pressures, particularly for people who depend on electricity for medical needs and their livelihoods. The immediate priorities are to assess the damage, carry out repairs and restore electricity to affected communities.
As of Monday, the full impact of the attacks and the time needed to restore supplies remained uncertain. The allegations against the RSF also remained unverified independently.