What's happened
Rapid Support Forces have attacked five power stations in Al-Jazira, Gedaref and White Nile, triggering widespread outages. The strikes compound a humanitarian crisis amid ongoing fighting between the RSF and the army, with hospitals shuttering and millions facing hunger.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- The attack signals a deliberate strike on critical infrastructure, aimed at compounding civilian hardship and pressuring humanitarian operations.
- With power outages persisting, farming and basic services across Al-Jazira, Gedaref and White Nile are disrupted, threatening already fragile livelihoods.
- International attention remains focused on civilian harm, with the UN highlighting hunger and health risks linked to outages.
- The timing aligns with ongoing military operations; future power stability depends on security conditions and the ability to protect or restore grid facilities.
Forecast: If fighting continues to target infrastructure, outages will persist and prices for basic goods will rise, heightening humanitarian strain.
How we got here
Sudan’s conflict, now in its third year, is driven by fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF. Attacks on energy infrastructure have repeatedly disrupted electricity, worsening access to water, healthcare and food for millions as inflation surges and the currency falls.
Our analysis
The Guardian reports five drone strikes against power stations in three states controlled by the Sudanese army, noting impacts on insulin storage for patients and widespread outages. Arab News corroborates the locations and the scale of outages, and highlights ongoing drone warfare and its toll on civilians. All sources emphasize a broader hunger crisis and the collapse of services in Sudan.
Go deeper
- Could this spate of attacks affect rainfall farming seasons and irrigation schedules?
- What protections exist for critical infrastructure amid urban warfare?
- How are aid groups adapting to continued outages in the east?
More on these topics
-
Sudan - Country in North Africa
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in North-East Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southe
-
United Nations - Intergovernmental organization
The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
-
Khartoum - Capital of Sudan
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan, the sixth-largest in Africa, the second-largest in North Africa, and the fourth-largest in the Arab world.