UPDATE - RSF drone attack causes widespread power outages in Sudan: Energy Ministry
- Attack targets Al-Markhiyat power substation in Omdurman, 1 day after similar strikes hit 5 electricity facilities in several states
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- Attack targets Al-Markhiyat power substation in Omdurman, 1 day after similar strikes hit 5 electricity facilities in several states
ADDS ENERGY MINISTRY STATEMENT, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE
By Adel Abdelrheem, Sahin Demir and Rania Abushamala
KHARTOUM, Sudan / ISTANBUL (AA) - A drone attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a power station caused widespread electricity outages in Sudan’s Khartoum and River Nile states on Tuesday, according to the Energy Ministry.
The attack targeted Al-Markhiyat power station in Omdurman, causing “severe damage” and putting the facility out of service, it said in a statement.
Energy and Oil Minister Al-Mutasim Ibrahim discussed the attack and its technical repercussions during a meeting with officials.
The outage affected large parts of Khartoum and River Nile states, as well as areas in several other states, according to the ministry.
Witnesses told Anadolu that a drone struck the Al-Markhiyat power substation in northwestern Omdurman early Tuesday, cutting electricity to large parts of Khartoum.
Residents of several neighborhoods across the capital also confirmed that electricity supplies had been disrupted Tuesday morning.
Videos circulated on social media showed smoke rising from the Al-Markhiyat electricity facility.
The incident came a day after Sudan’s Electricity Company accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of launching drone attacks on five power substations in Sennar, southeastern Sudan, Gedaref in the east, and Al-Jazira in central Sudan.
The state-run company said the attacks caused extensive damage to the facilities, resulting in power outages across the three states as well as White Nile state in central Sudan.
Sudanese authorities and human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the RSF of targeting civilian infrastructure. The paramilitary group rarely comments on such accusations but maintains that it works to protect civilians.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s army and the RSF have been engaged in a conflict stemming from disagreements over the integration of the paramilitary group into the military.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced nearly 13 million and worsened famine and the humanitarian crisis across the country, according to UN and international estimates.
Rania R.a. Abushamala