Drone attacks leave 5 power plants in eastern Sudan dark

Residents in three eastern states of Sudan lost electricity after paramilitary Rapid Support Forces launched a coordinated drone attack on five power stations. A government official confirmed the strikes hit two facilities in Al-Jazira and Gedaref states, and one in White Nile state. The official said the attacks caused outages across large parts of these three regions.

All three states are currently under the control of the Sudanese army. The army has been at war with the RSF since April 2023. The conflict has increasingly relied on drone warfare, with both sides launching sophisticated attacks. In the first three weeks of October, drone strikes killed more than 300 people and injured hundreds, according to a United Nations tally.

Babiker Youssef, a resident of Al-Fao in Gedaref, said the power went out early in the morning. He explained that his son is diabetic and requires insulin to be stored in a refrigerator. Youssef said he feared he would not be able to replace the medication if it spoiled. "We have no idea when the power will come back," he said.

Abdelhafez Daafallah, a 54-year-old farmer in Al-Junaid, Al-Jazira, described the loss of the power station as a setback for his work. He noted that electricity had only begun to improve three months prior. The specific station that was destroyed had just been repaired, giving him hope that his irrigation pumps would run. Daafallah said he hoped to return to farming but was frustrated after nearly four years of being unable to work his land.

Ibrahim Mohammed, a 37-year-old grocer in Gedaref, said he was already facing power cuts for hours before the strike. He said he now has chicken in his refrigerator that risks spoiling. "We either lose our entire stock, or will be forced to sell it off at any price, which is still a loss," he said.

The United Nations has warned that attacks on power stations threaten health and services for millions. At least 8 million children are out of school, and the majority of hospitals have closed. The war, which aid workers estimate has killed more than 200,000 people, has also driven inflation higher. The local currency lost more than 25% of its value in recent weeks.