Sudan’s electricity network is facing the threat of collapse following a series of drone attacks on critical power infrastructure since early October, with the destruction of substations and generating facilities disrupting essential services across the war-torn country. The attacks have left several towns without electricity, placed additional pressure on an already weakened power system and intensified concerns about the humanitarian consequences of the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
According to Emergency Lawyers, a Sudanese rights group, at least 15 substations have been targeted by drone attacks since early October. The strikes have seemingly concentrated on power infrastructure in northern Sudan, across areas where the SAF maintains positions. On November 1, attacks on substations in Abu Hamad, in River Nile State, and Al-Dabbah, in Northern State, left residents in both towns without electricity. Al-Dabbah is also hosting thousands of people displaced from Al Fasher following the RSF siege of the city last year.
Other attacks have damaged the Um Dabakir thermal power station in White Nile State, forcing it to shut down, and destroyed transformers at the Shendi power station in River Nile State. The extent of the damage has placed the country’s remaining electricity infrastructure under considerable strain. An employee of the Sudan Electric Holding Company told the Associated Press that the Merowe Dam, situated on the River Nile approximately 350 kilometres north of Khartoum, has become the last major source of electricity in Sudan, supplying more than 70 per cent of the country’s power.
The consequences extend well beyond electricity shortages. Water pumping and treatment facilities depend on reliable power supplies, meaning prolonged blackouts threaten access to clean water in affected communities. Healthcare facilities face similarly serious difficulties. Hospitals, dialysis centres and blood banks require electricity to maintain essential services, while refrigerated storage is necessary to preserve medicines, vaccines and other medical supplies. The Sudan’s Doctors Network, a professional body representing medical personnel across the country, told the Associated Press that continued power disruptions could compromise critical healthcare services.
The shortage of diesel is compounding the problem by limiting the capacity of hospitals and other essential facilities to operate backup generators. Consequently, even institutions equipped to maintain operations during electricity interruptions face difficulties sustaining services. The damage to the power network is also affecting agriculture, particularly as Sudan enters its winter growing season. Farmers depend on electrically powered irrigation systems to cultivate their land, and the combined shortage of electricity and diesel threatens agricultural production. With millions of people already facing acute hunger, disruption to the planting season could further aggravate food insecurity.
The SAF and human rights organisations, including Emergency Lawyers, have blamed the recent attacks on the RSF. The paramilitary group has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the latest strikes. However, a drone attack on the Haya substation in Red Sea State, which was still under construction, has recently been attributed to the RSF.
The accusations have developed into a wider diplomatic dispute involving neighbouring Ethiopia and allegations of external military assistance. The SAF has accused Ethiopia of allowing its territory to be used as a launching ground for drones supplied by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attack critical infrastructure in Sudan. The UAE has repeatedly denied supporting the RSF, while Ethiopia has rejected previous allegations that it is assisting the paramilitary organisation.
Sudan has taken the allegations to international institutions, filing formal complaints with the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council. In a statement, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the incidents placed Ethiopia “before international law”. A report issued by the army-led Transnational Sovereignty Council alleged that 70 attacks involving 187 one-way attack drones originated from Ethiopian territory between February 15 and October 27. It attributed 176 military deaths and 484 civilian deaths to these attacks.
The report also identified several alleged launch locations, including Bahir Dar airbase and Asosa Airport in western Ethiopia. Addis Ababa has, in turn, accused the SAF of supporting armed groups linked to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, an armed liberation movement originating in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. Khartoum has denied that allegation. These competing accusations reflect the involvement of wider regional rivalries in Sudan’s conflict, with external actors complicating diplomatic efforts and increasing the possibility of tensions extending beyond the country’s borders.
The Soufan Center, which reported on the latest developments, places the attacks within a broader escalation that coincides with renewed international attempts to establish a political process. On November 2, United Nations Special Envoy for Sudan Pekka Haavisto announced that the organisation expected to hold discussions with the RSF and its allies before Christmas, in late December. The proposed talks are intended to address a possible transition to civilian rule.
Haavisto said the UN had already conducted productive meetings with representatives aligned with the SAF and an anti-war coalition led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. A subsequent meeting with the RSF-aligned bloc could take place in Addis Ababa through the Quintet, comprising the United Nations, African Union, European Union, Arab League and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
The proposed discussions are intended to advance a Sudanese-led political process and establish conditions for a transition to civilian governance. However, they do not constitute a direct agreement between the two warring parties or indicate that either side has committed to a ceasefire. Haavisto acknowledged that the RSF and its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, had yet to make clear commitments to existing peace proposals.
SAF commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has repeatedly rejected ceasefire proposals and pledged to continue fighting until the RSF is defeated. Meanwhile, the Quad, comprising the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is also pursuing diplomatic efforts to find a solution. Despite these initiatives, both sides continue to pursue military objectives, with external support sustaining their capacity to fight. The latest attacks on electricity infrastructure have added another dimension to the conflict at a time when the United Nations is seeking to bring the opposing political and military camps into negotiations.
