Civil War Intensifies as Three States Suffer Blackouts

Drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hit five power stations in Sudan on Monday (26 October 2026), causing power cuts across large areas of three states.

Amid a protracted war and a hunger crisis, the outages threaten residents’ access to basic necessities, from water supplies to the refrigeration of medicines.

Citing AFP, a Sudanese government official said RSF drones attacked two power stations in Al-Jazira state, two in Gedaref and one in White Nile state.

“The attacks caused power cuts across most areas of the three states,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

All three states are under the control of the Sudanese army, which has been fighting the RSF, its former ally, since April 2023. The conflict has devastated infrastructure and worsened living conditions.

Residents have felt the impact of the outages directly. Babiker Youssef, who lives in Al-Fao in Gedaref state, said the electricity in his area had been off since 2am local time.

“My son has diabetes, and his insulin needs to be kept in a refrigerator,” he said. He feared the medicine would spoil because of the power cut.

Youssef said he did not know when the electricity supply would return to normal. “We don’t know when the power will come back on,” he said.

Prolonged blackouts risk disrupting medicine storage, healthcare services, water supplies and other household necessities.

The United Nations has repeatedly warned that attacks on electricity infrastructure can threaten healthcare services and people’s access to basic needs.

Sudan is facing one of the world’s largest hunger crises. Nearly 20 million people are reportedly experiencing extreme hunger, while the conflict, ongoing since 2023, continues to worsen the humanitarian crisis.

Extended power disruptions are not new in Sudan. Drone attacks on power stations and hydroelectric dams have repeatedly disrupted energy supplies, adding to the burden on people already affected by war and the humanitarian crisis.

Local media in Al-Jazira also reported that electricity in the area had been cut off since 2am local time. At the time of the report, there was no confirmed timetable for restoring power in the affected areas.