Sudan Power Cuts: Drone Strikes Hit Khartoum Substation After Four States Go Dark

Drone strikes have knocked out power across large parts of Sudan, with a fresh attack on Tuesday hitting a substation in Omdurman, just west of the capital Khartoum. Witnesses told Anadolu news agency that a drone struck the Al-Markhiyat power substation in north-western Omdurman early on Tuesday, cutting electricity to large parts of the capital, with smoke seen rising from the facility. As of Tuesday morning there was no official statement on the extent of the damage or who was responsible for that strike.

The attack came a day after Sudan's state electricity company accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of launching drone attacks on five power stations on Monday, in Sennar, Gedaref and Gezira states as well as White Nile state. The company said the strikes caused extensive damage and knocked out power across those states, threatening the stability of the whole national grid. Reuters reported that power was cut in Sennar, Al Qadarif, White Nile and Gezira, covering about half the territory currently held by the military.

The United Nations has warned that attacks on power infrastructure threaten health and other services for millions of people already hit hard by the conflict. Sudan's army and the RSF have been fighting since April 2023, a war the UN estimates has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced nearly 13 million. The RSF rarely comments on such accusations, but says it works to protect civilians. The strikes also come as the United States, France, Britain and 27 other countries warned this week that Sudan faces an alarming deterioration in food security, a warning Khartoum rejected.

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