RSF Drone Strike Knocks Out Power in El-Obeid Amid Ongoing Sudan War

A drone strike by the Rapid Support Forces hit a power station in El-Obeid, causing a blackout in the strategic Sudanese city. El-Obeid has been a key battleground in Sudan’s war between the RSF and the army, a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced around 11 million people.

A paramilitary drone strike targeted a major power facility on Tuesday, triggering a widespread blackout in the strategic Sudanese city of El-Obeid, according to a local official and an eyewitness who spoke to AFP.
“A drone operated by the Rapid Support Forces bombed the city’s main power station early this morning, causing a fire to break out,” an official with the state electricity company said. The official requested anonymity, explaining that they were not authorised to provide statements to the media. Emergency crews were reportedly deployed to contain the blaze, but the damage led to an immediate disruption of electricity supply across large parts of the city.
El-Obeid, the largest urban centre in the Kordofan region, has become one of the most fiercely contested areas in Sudan’s ongoing war between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army, a conflict that erupted in April 2023 and has since devastated much of the country. The city’s infrastructure has been repeatedly strained by fighting, and Tuesday’s strike adds to mounting concerns over the targeting of civilian facilities.
A resident of the city, Awad Ali, recounted the moment of the attack. “I heard a powerful explosion at about 2:00 am (0000 GMT),” he said. “When I looked out, I saw flames rising from the direction of the power station.” He added that by 9:00 am electricity had still not been restored, leaving homes, businesses and essential services without power. The blackout has disrupted daily life, affecting water pumping systems, hospitals, telecommunications and small businesses that rely on electricity to operate.
El-Obeid serves as the capital of North Kordofan state and occupies a strategically significant crossroads linking RSF-controlled areas of Darfur in the west to army-held territories in the east, including the national capital, Khartoum. Its location has made it a critical military objective for both sides, as control of the city would facilitate movement of fighters, weapons and supplies across central Sudan.
For nearly a year, after government forces managed to break a prolonged RSF siege of El-Obeid, the paramilitary group has been attempting to tighten its grip around the city once again. Tactics have included drone strikes on infrastructure, intermittent shelling and attacks on nearby towns in an effort to isolate the area and weaken army positions.
In recent weeks, the Sudanese army has intensified its counteroffensive operations across Kordofan. It succeeded in breaking sieges on the region’s two other major cities, Dilling and Kadugli, where hundreds of thousands of residents had been trapped under dire humanitarian conditions, with reports warning of widespread hunger and the risk of mass starvation.
The war has exacted a catastrophic toll on Sudan. Since fighting began, tens of thousands of people have been killed, though exact figures remain difficult to verify due to limited access and ongoing violence. Around 11 million people have been displaced from their homes, either fleeing to safer areas within the country or seeking refuge across borders. The conflict has triggered what humanitarian agencies describe as the world’s largest hunger and displacement crisis, with millions facing acute food insecurity and limited access to medical care, clean water and basic services.