RSF drone attacks cause power outage in Sudan’s Merowe

February 28, 2025 (MEROWE) – Repeated drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted military and civilian infrastructure in Merowe, Northern State, early on Friday, causing a widespread power outage, the Sudanese army and eyewitnesses said.

The attacks, which have intensified this month, are part of a broader pattern of RSF drone strikes on military and civilian sites across several Sudanese states, including Gedaref in the east and Shendi and Atbara in the River Nile state.

The Sudanese army’s 19th Infantry Division said in a statement that RSF drones struck the division headquarters, Merowe International Airport, the Merowe Dam, and a local power station in “successive waves” early Friday. The statement, seen by Sudan Tribune, said that the attacks aimed to destroy infrastructure.

Army anti-aircraft defences intercepted some of the drones, the military added.

Eyewitnesses in Merowe told Sudan Tribune the attacks began around 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Thursday and continued until about 5 a.m. on Friday. They described the assault as the most intense of its kind, reporting loud explosions and heavy anti-aircraft fire.

Merowe, a strategically important city that hosts a major dam and the 19th Infantry Division headquarters, has been repeatedly targeted by RSF strikes, leading to previous infrastructure damage and power disruptions.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF.

The RSF seized control of the Merowe military airport briefly on April 15, 2023, the first day of the conflict, damaging aircraft and capturing some Egyptian Air Force personnel before the Sudanese army regained control.

The 22-month conflict between Sudan’s military and the RSF has created a humanitarian crisis, displacing more than 12 million people and leaving half the population, or 24.8 million, facing acute food insecurity.