Drone Strikes on Five Power Stations Black Out Sudan’s Southeastern Grid
Drone strikes on five power stations early on Monday 26 October left Sudan’s southeastern grid in total darkness, the Sudan Electricity Holding Company said. Power was cut across Sennar, Gedaref, White Nile and Gezira, all states held by the army. The company blamed the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters or Sudan Tribune.
What the electricity company says was hit
In a statement issued through the government spokesperson’s platform on Monday afternoon, the state-owned company said RSF drones struck transformer stations at:
- Singa (Sennar state);
- Al-Hawata and Al-Fao (Gedaref state);
- Mashkour (White Nile state);
- Al-Junaid / El Geneid (Gezira state).
The company said the strikes caused “severe damage” and “major destruction” to station equipment, blacked out the whole southeastern grid and put the stability of the national grid at risk. It said engineering teams had been sent to assess the damage and start repairs. It gave no date for restoring power.
The accounts differ slightly. A government official speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity described two stations hit in Gezira, two in Gedaref and one in White Nile, and did not mention Sennar. The company’s own list puts one of the five, Singa, in Sennar. Reuters, citing the company, said the four affected states cover about half of the territory the army holds. Reuters added that it could not independently verify the company’s account.
Timing and other targets
Sources at the El Geneid sugar factory told Sudan Tribune that the El Geneid transformer station was hit at about 2:30 a.m. local time and put out of service. The Sennar state government said the Singa strike caused material damage and injured security guards. Sudan Tribune also reported an attempted drone strike on fuel depots at Um Alila in eastern Gezira, which caused no casualties. A drone strike in September set the same depots on fire.
Monday’s attacks follow a strike last week on the Tendelti power station in western White Nile, which Sudan Tribune said cut electricity to Tendelti and to cities across North Kordofan.
A drone campaign against infrastructure
Both sides in the war, which began in April 2023, have stepped up drone use. RSF long-range and kamikaze drones have repeatedly hit power, fuel and airport targets deep inside army-held territory. In recent days that has included reported attacks on Wad Madani and Um Rawaba. The army has struck RSF-held Nyala, where local sources say foreign military personnel were killed. The question of where drones are launched from has also reached the UN Security Council, where Sudan and Ethiopia traded accusations this month.
Attacks on transformer stations do damage that lasts. A single large transformer can take months to replace, and blackouts stop water pumping, irrigation and hospital services. The UN has repeatedly warned that strikes on power infrastructure threaten essential services for millions of people already caught in the conflict.
What is still unclear
- What type of drones were used and where they were launched from. Neither the company nor the army has said.
- How long repairs will take, and whether some stations will need new transformers.
- Whether anyone besides the guards at Singa was hurt.
Sources
- Sudan Electricity Holding Company statement via the official spokesperson platform (Arabic, 26 October 2026)
- Reuters: Drone strikes cut power across southeast Sudan, operator says
- AFP via The Guardian: Sudan paramilitary drone strikes cause mass power cuts in eastern states
- Sudan Tribune: RSF drones target power stations across four Sudanese states
