Drone strikes kill 21 in Sudan as attacks disrupt power supplies

At least 21 people have been killed and more than 40 injured in a drone strike on a market in Sudan’s western Darfur

At least 21 people have been killed and more than 40 injured in a drone strike on a market in Sudan’s western Darfur region, while separate attacks have disrupted electricity supplies across large parts of the country’s east, according to medical workers and witnesses.

The market was hit on Monday evening in Nyala, the main city under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Darfur. A medic at Nyala Hospital confirmed the casualties to AFP but said it was unclear how many of the dead or injured were RSF fighters.

Residents said the market in northern Nyala was struck at around 8pm local time. The area was reportedly frequented by young men, including members of the paramilitary group.

Sudan’s military regularly launches attacks on Nyala as fighting between the army and the RSF continues. The conflict erupted in April 2023 and has divided the country between rival forces. The RSF has established a rival administration in Darfur, challenging the internationally recognised, army-backed government based in Khartoum.

The RSF has also carried out repeated drone attacks on key infrastructure, including Khartoum’s airport, dams and power stations.

On Tuesday, a drone attack targeted the Al-Markhiyat transformer station, disrupting electricity supplies across large parts of Khartoum and Al-Jazira states, according to a source at the national electricity company.

The latest strike followed a coordinated RSF drone assault on six power stations a day earlier. The attacks left millions of people without electricity in Al-Jazira, White Nile, Sennar and Gedaref states.

Drone warfare has become a central feature of the conflict, with both sides conducting increasingly sophisticated attacks. According to a United Nations tally, more than 300 people were killed and hundreds injured in drone strikes during the first three weeks of October alone.

The war has killed an estimated 200,000 people, according to aid workers, and triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest displacement and hunger crises.

The UN has repeatedly warned that attacks on electricity infrastructure threaten essential services, including healthcare and water supplies, for millions of people.

Although the army recaptured Khartoum last year, nearly three million people have returned to the state and many continue to face severe difficulties. Electricity and water remain unreliable, unexploded ordnance poses safety risks, and the collapsed economy has left many families struggling to afford food.

The food security situation is also deteriorating. On Monday, 30 countries, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom, called for urgent action to prevent famine from spreading further across Sudan.

They cited the ongoing conflict, a sharply weakening currency, rising fuel costs linked to the Middle East war and drought associated with the El Niño climate phenomenon.

Sudan’s foreign ministry rejected claims that the country was facing a worsening famine situation, describing food security as reassuring. It accused some countries and organisations of using the humanitarian crisis for political purposes.

The army has repeatedly denied documented claims of famine and has faced accusations of obstructing humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, continued attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure are deepening the suffering of people caught in the conflict.