Power Outages Disrupt Army-Controlled Areas of Sudan

Extensive power outages are disrupting daily life and economic recovery in army-controlled areas of Sudan, specifically in Khartoum and Omdurman. The blackouts stem from a combination of drone attacks on civilian infrastructure, the looting of fuel and copper wires, and a lack of government funding for necessary repairs.

Altayeb Saadeldin, a spokesperson for the Khartoum state government, identified the Merowe dam as a specific target and noted that delayed annual rains have further reduced power generation. He stated that "The targeting of the electricity sector in particular was very significant."

While the army attributes the grid failure to the Rapid Support Forces, a source for that paramilitary group dismissed the claims as "incorrect and army propaganda". To mitigate the crisis and the high cost of generator fuel, the prime minister of Sudan recently exempted personal solar panels from customs and fees.