The targeting of power stations this week in several states reveals that the attacks have shifted toward targeting the foundations of stability and the recovery that has begun to emerge in daily life. The issue, therefore, goes beyond power outages to testing the ability of the state and citizens to endure, protect infrastructure, and thwart the militia’s calculations. Resilience is measured by preparedness, protecting facilities, restoring their efficiency, and maintaining cohesion on the home front.
The targeting of the Al-Markhiyat transformer station west of Omdurman on Tuesday represents a new episode in a series of attacks on electricity facilities in the states of Al Jazirah, Sennar, Gedaref, and White Nile. According to reports, an attack by the Rapid Support Forces militia caused severe damage that put the station out of service and affected the stability of electricity supplies in Khartoum and other areas. The Al-Hawata, Al-Junayd, Mashkur, and Al-Fao stations have also been subjected to attacks and damage affecting the national grid.
The strategic significance lies in the fact that electricity is not a service separate from the state’s other institutions; rather, it is a lifeline connected to water, healthcare, communications, and production. Disrupting it therefore intensifies pressure on society and tests institutions’ ability to continue functioning. Yet this equation has another side: the more successfully the state contains the damage and restores services, the less capable the attacks become of achieving their aim of disrupting public life and undermining confidence.
These developments bring to mind the tragedy of El Fasher, with the human suffering, destruction, and displacement it witnessed. The intention is not to equate the events or the methods of targeting, but to recognize that war leaves its mark on people, infrastructure, and the necessities of life.
From the memory of El Fasher to the targeting of Al-Markhiyat, an important challenge emerges: how can Sudan protect its society and institutions and prevent destruction from becoming a means of imposing a political reality or exhausting national resolve? Restoring services and protecting civilians are not separate from the battle; they are part of protecting the state and its resources.
In this context, electricity-sector workers deserve special recognition. Engineers and technicians confront breakdowns and workplace risks under complex conditions, working to repair the damage and restore power. Their competence and experience constitute an important national asset, and their ability to restore services demonstrates that targeting facilities does not necessarily paralyze institutions or undermine society’s resolve. Strengthening this capacity, however, requires providing equipment, spare parts, and resources so that logistical obstacles do not prolong repair times.
Hence, there is an urgent need for the Ministry of Finance and the relevant authorities to expedite procedures for importing transformers from abroad, in line with the urgent requirements previously submitted by the electricity sector. This is not an appeal born of helplessness, but a demand linked to national security and the continuity of vital services. Providing transformers enhances technical teams’ response capacity, strengthens grid readiness, and reduces the likelihood of repeated outages and their widening impact. Resilience does not mean merely enduring blows, but possessing the tools that enable the state to absorb them and restore its ability to function.
At the legal level, international humanitarian law requires distinguishing between military objectives and civilian objects and prohibits attacks on civilian objects, while requiring compliance with the principles of proportionality and the taking of necessary precautions to protect civilians. Documenting attacks, investigating them, and holding those responsible accountable remain essential to upholding the law and preventing impunity. Politically, calls for Sudanese dialogue, peace, and combating hate speech are incompatible with ignoring the actions of the militia and its supporters that threaten citizens’ lives and the necessities of their survival. Positions are measured by what they protect on the ground, not by the slogans they raise.
Protecting vital facilities is a shared responsibility. The state is required to secure them, security agencies must regulate filming and publication on social media, and citizens must exercise awareness and refrain from circulating material that reveals their locations or the extent of the damage. What happened yesterday, when footage circulated on social media showing Al-Markhiyat station and revealing the entire facility, highlights the danger of uncontrolled filming, as it may provide the enemy with information that serves its objectives. Security awareness therefore becomes the first line of defense, and protecting information becomes part of protecting the homeland and standing firm against attacks.
This war, with the stakes and ambitions it carries, cannot be confronted through military resilience alone. It also requires national unity, an understanding of the nature of the battle, cohesion on the home front, and protection of state institutions from targeting and disruption. Supporting the Armed Forces in their battle, strengthening the efficiency of civilian institutions, and enabling workers to continue performing their duties are interconnected elements of a single national equation.
According to #TheFaceOfTruth, their drones target facilities, while our resilience protects the state and rebuilds what has been damaged. Between the memory of El Fasher and the challenge of Al-Markhiyat, the message remains that Sudan does not confront this war by counting its losses, but by unifying its will, strengthening its capabilities, and recognizing that protecting the necessities of life is part of protecting the homeland—and that unity is what defeats attempts to exhaust it.
Wishing you continued health and well-being.
Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Sudandial@gmai.com9
