Sudan’s Power Grid Nears Collapse as Drone Strikes Hit Northern Stations

Sudan’s power grid is nearing collapse after a wave of drone strikes knocked out electricity stations in the north of the country, the latest attacks in a week-long campaign against the power network that has left millions facing blackouts. Drone strikes have knocked out power substations in the northern Sudanese towns of Al-Dabbah and Abu Hamad, according to the Associated Press, as Sudan’s power grid comes under sustained attack in the country’s civil war.

Witnesses said a drone strike hit the Abu Hamad power station in River Nile state early on Sunday, 1 November, sparking a fire and triggering loud explosions around the facility, which lies about 538 kilometres north of the capital, Khartoum. There was no immediate comment from Sudanese authorities on the extent of the casualties or damage.

FAKTA

• Drone strikes have knocked out power substations in the northern Sudanese towns of Al-Dabbah and Abu Hamad, the Associated Press reports.
• The Abu Hamad power station in River Nile state was hit early on Sunday, 1 November, sparking a fire and loud explosions, witnesses said.
• The strike was the 12th power station targeted by drone attacks across six Sudanese states since Monday, 26 October.
• The United Nations has warned that continued attacks on electricity infrastructure threaten the national grid and essential services for millions of civilians.
• Sudan’s state electricity company has blamed the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for the strikes; the RSF has not responded to the accusations, and the UN has not identified those responsible.

Northern stations hit as Sudan power grid campaign spreads

The Abu Hamad strike was the latest in a series of attacks that has moved steadily northwards through Sudan’s power network. The day before, on Saturday, another drone strike targeted the Hayya power station in Red Sea state, a facility still under construction. The six states hit since Monday are Khartoum, Gezira, Sennar, Gedaref, River Nile and Red Sea.

High-voltage transmission pylons. (File photo)

A week of strikes on the Sudan power grid

The campaign began in earnest on Monday, 26 October, when paramilitary drone strikes hit power stations in south-eastern Sudan, cutting power across the region, the state electricity company said at the time. Reuters reported that power was cut in Sennar, Al Qadarif, White Nile and Gezira states, threatening the stability of the whole national grid, with stations at Sinja, El Hawata, Al Fao, Mashkour and Al-Junaid suffering severe damage.

The Sudan Electricity Holding Company accused the Rapid Support Forces of carrying out those attacks. The RSF did not immediately respond to the accusations, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the company’s account.

Millions at risk as services fail

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on 28 October that continued drone attacks on electricity infrastructure threatened the stability of the national grid and risked disrupting essential services for millions of civilians, including drinking water, healthcare and other services dependent on power. The UN did not identify those responsible for the strikes in its statement.

The attacks come amid Sudan’s civil war between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has raged since April 2023, when disagreements over the integration of the country’s military forces escalated into armed conflict. The war has devastated the country’s infrastructure, leaving large parts of Sudan vulnerable to recurring blackouts.

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