Widespread blackouts have affected large areas of army-controlled Sudan following drone strikes

Most regions in Sudan under army control are experiencing widespread blackouts due to drone strikes on power generation facilities carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, as reported by government officials and local residents to Reuters.

The outages commenced on Monday following drone assaults on the Merowe Dam, the largest in the country, which impacted the northern state of Sudan. Additionally, a technical malfunction affected the River Nile and Red Sea states. The situation worsened on Saturday after an overnight attack on the al-Shouk power station in eastern Sudan, leading to power outages in Gedaref, Kassala, and Sennar states, according to officials and residents.

These blackouts predominantly affect areas still under army control, which has been engaged in a nearly two-year conflict with the RSF, the latter of which governs much of the western region of the country. The ongoing fighting has also disrupted electricity generation in most RSF-held territories.

The regions experiencing blackouts are home to millions of internally displaced individuals, exacerbating the strain on living conditions and infrastructure.

“The assault on the power station has resulted in the loss of electricity to hospitals, schools, and water facilities, endangering civilian lives, especially in these challenging humanitarian conditions,” stated the human rights organization Emergency Lawyers. “These attacks not only strip civilians of their fundamental rights but also heighten the risk of further violence,” they added.

The conflict in Sudan has led to the displacement of over 12 million people, and the global hunger monitor has estimated that approximately 24.6 million individuals, or nearly half of the Sudanese population, are in urgent need of food assistance through May.