Drone attacks extend campaign targeting Sudan’s power system

What the report says

Drone strikes have reportedly damaged three electricity substations in eastern and northern Sudan, adding to a wave of attacks that Al Jazeera says has hit the country’s power network 18 times in the past week. The latest strikes were reported on Monday in New Halfa and Aroma in Kassala state, as well as at the al-Ghazali substation in Northern State, causing outages in parts of Sudan. Local media and videos shared online indicated fires at the sites, though Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the footage.

The attacks come amid Sudan’s war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023. Sudan’s military-led government has accused Ethiopia of helping the RSF with the drone campaign, and on Sunday said it had lodged complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council over alleged involvement in strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Separately, the Sudanese army said on Monday that a group of RSF members had surrendered in Damazin, the capital of Blue Nile state. The army described this as part of a growing number of defections in the area. The statement followed a video published by Al Jazeera showing senior RSF commander Siddiq Ander announcing his defection, which the army said also included information about military operations and alleged Ethiopian support for the RSF. The developments highlight both the widening infrastructure impact of the conflict and signs of strain within the paramilitary force.