Port Sudan has experienced a severe power outage following drone attacks on critical infrastructure, including the international airport and a fuel depot. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have yet to respond to the military's accusations as humanitarian operations continue under increasing threat.
Power Outage Engulfs Port Sudan Amid Intensified Paramilitary Attacks
Power Outage Engulfs Port Sudan Amid Intensified Paramilitary Attacks
Drone strikes have crippled a major power station in Port Sudan, leaving the city dark and vulnerable amid escalating violence.
Port Sudan has been plunged into darkness following relentless drone strikes that targeted key infrastructure over the past three days. The Sudanese electricity provider confirmed a "complete power outage," including significant damage to a major power station, hampering essential services like water and health. Explosions erupted near the city’s international airport, prompting the cancellation of flights and instigating chaos among civilian residents.
Witness accounts paint a grim picture, with journalist Cristina Karrer describing the scene as "apocalyptic," with massive smoke clouds rising above the city where many displaced individuals have sought sanctuary from ongoing civil conflict. Reports indicate that one drone struck the civilian area of Port Sudan airport while another targeted a nearby army base. A third strike affected a fuel depot, further deepening concerns over the stability of the region.
The United Nations has reacted to the unfolding crisis by temporarily halting aid flights, although it confirmed that essential operations would persist. Farhan Haq, the UN deputy spokesperson, assured that none of their facilities had been compromised by the violence.
According to Sudan’s government spokesman Khaled Al-Aiser, military forces are in place to protect vital fuel supplies. In an escalating civil war characterized by fierce clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the military has attributed the drone attacks to the RSF, which has not officially commented on the situation. The African Union added that the violence represents a troubling escalation in the conflict, endangering civilian lives and humanitarian efforts across the region.
Prior to these assaults, Port Sudan had largely remained unscathed by the ongoing violence that has gripped the nation for the past two years, marking an alarming shift in the dynamics of the conflict. As fighting continues, the toll of the civil war compounds a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with both the army and RSF facing allegations of war crimes.
