Power blackouts across Khartoum as city hit by wave of RSF drone strikes

Sudan’s capital Khartoum was plunged into darkness early on Tuesday after drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) triggered a major power outage across the city.  

Eyewitness reports say the drones hit a power station, an oil refinery and a military air base. Sources said a weapons factory was also targeted. 

Khartoum was the epicenter of fighting when tensions erupted between government forces and the RSF in April 2023.  

The conflict soon engulfed the country and an estimated 40,000 people have since been killed. More than 12 million people have been displaced, with many pushed to the brink of famine.  

In May, the army said it had recaptured the capital and residents have been slowly trickling back. But many find their homes have been destroyed and much of the city shattered, with little electricity and scarce food, water or services.  

Last month, the provisional army-backed government launched an ambitious reconstruction programme in Khartoum. The United Nations estimates it will cost more than 300 million dollars just to restore basic services.  

The government is expected to deploy anti-aircraft weapons to protect key facilities and deter further attacks.

Fighting between the RSF and army continues in El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province and the military's last stronghold in the Darfur region.

In August the United Nations Security Council rejected the RSF's declaration of a rival administration in the parts of the country under its control. The UN said the move threatens Sudan's territorial integrity and risks worsening the conflict.