Protests over power cuts spread in northern Sudan as electricity crisis deepens

May 30, Ad-debba — Residents of the Al-Afad area in Northern State staged a protest on Saturday demanding stable electricity supply, as demonstrations over prolonged power cuts continued to spread across the region amid sweltering summer temperatures.

Protesters gathered in the Al-Afad area carrying banners reading “No life without electricity,” expressing frustration over outages that have become, in their words, a daily burden affecting households, businesses, health centres, and schools.

A protester told Sudan Tribune that the lengthy and recurring power cuts have caused severe hardship, particularly as temperatures continue to rise and basic services increasingly depend on uninterrupted electricity. He said participants demanded their right to stable electricity as a basic service tied to daily life and economic activity.

He added that the electricity crisis in Northern State has persisted for more than three years, following damage to the main transformer connected to the Merowe Dam network during the war, which has caused recurring disruptions to supply across towns and villages throughout the state.

Demonstrators called on the government and relevant technical authorities to intervene urgently, rehabilitate the electricity grid infrastructure, and put in place sustainable solutions to ensure stable supply.

Northern State has experienced repeated electricity disruptions since the war broke out in Sudan, as damage to components of the national grid has increased outage hours and reduced service reliability. Residents have mounted continuous popular demands for permanent solutions to the crisis.