Sudan: RSF drones hit five power stations, blacking out Al-Jazira, Gedaref and White Nile

Drones launched by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit five power stations in three army-held states on Monday, cutting electricity across large parts of eastern and central Sudan, a government official told AFP, in a report carried by The Guardian.

Where the strikes landed

• Al-Jazira state: two power stations;
• Gedaref state: two power stations;
• White Nile state: one power station.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attack left "large parts of these three states" without power. All three are held by the Sudanese army, which has fought the RSF, its former ally, since April 2023.

What it means on the ground

Residents described the cost within hours. In Al-Fao, in Gedaref, Babiker Youssef said the power had been out since early morning and he feared for his diabetic son's insulin, which must be kept in a fridge. A grocer in Gedaref said he would either lose his stock of chicken or have to sell it at a loss.

In Al-Jazira, Sudan's main farming state, a 54-year-old farmer said the station that powers irrigation pumps in Al-Junaid had only just been repaired after an earlier attack. The army retook Al-Jazira from the RSF last year, and farmers there have been trying to replant since.

Past drone strikes on power stations and dams have left Sudanese cities without electricity for days at a time.

A war fought by drones

Both sides now fight largely with drones. In the first three weeks of October, drone strikes killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds, according to a UN tally cited by AFP. Last week we reported strikes in West Kordofan and Abyei that killed more than 300, including mourners.

The UN has warned that attacks on power plants put health services for millions at risk in a country facing the world's largest hunger crisis. Aid workers estimate the war has killed more than 200,000 people in Sudan, a country of about 50 million. Most hospitals have closed and at least 8 million children are out of school.

The money side

Sudan is also living with record inflation, and its currency has lost more than a quarter of its value in recent weeks. For readers following exchange rates in the region, our currency converter has the rupee against the dollar and Gulf currencies.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the strikes.