Drones hit three more Sudanese power substations as Khartoum files complaints against Ethiopia at the UN and African Union

Drone strikes hit three electricity substations in eastern and northern Sudan early on Monday 2 November, causing widespread power cuts, witnesses and local sources told Anadolu Agency and Al Jazeera.

The New Halfa and Aroma substations in Kassala state were struck, cutting electricity across the state, and videos circulated on social media showed fires at both sites, Anadolu reported. A third strike hit the Al-Ghazali substation, about 20km east of Merowe in Northern State, after which power was cut across Merowe, witnesses said. Al Jazeera said it could not immediately verify the footage. Anadolu counted 16 power stations hit by drones across Sudan in a week; Al Jazeera put the number of strikes on the grid at 18.

Complaints against Ethiopia

In a statement late on Sunday, Sudan’s foreign ministry said it had filed complaints with the UN Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, accusing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of using Ethiopian territory to launch attacks on “civilian sites and power stations”. A report by the army-led Transitional Sovereignty Council alleged 70 attacks involving 187 drones between 15 February and 27 October, which it said killed or wounded 484 civilians, Al Jazeera reported. Ethiopia had not commented, Anadolu said. The RSF generally does not comment on such accusations and says it works to protect civilians.

Separately, the army said a group of RSF members surrendered to its forces in Damazin, Blue Nile state, Al Jazeera reported.

Background

Sudan’s army and the RSF have been at war since April 2023. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around 13 million, according to Anadolu. A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that he “strongly condemns the escalating drone attacks in Sudan by the parties to the conflict”.