Sudan Blames Ethiopia, UAE for Drone Strikes

Sudanese officials reported attacks on electricity and fuel infrastructure during 27 and 28 October 2026. The targets mattered because they supported power supply, fuel storage and transport. Damage to these systems can disrupt daily life well beyond the immediate strike area.

On Tuesday 27 October, a drone strike disabled the Markhiyat power station in Omdurman, part of the capital area. On Wednesday 28 October, officials said strikes hit a power station and fuel storage in El Manaqil, in Gezira State. They also said fuel storage and a pipeline linked to Bashayer Port in Red Sea State were hit.

The article does not establish the full damage or duration. It reports blackouts in Omdurman and El Manaqil, but says it could not confirm how long the outages lasted or how much fuel was lost. The strikes raise concern about wider effects on hospitals, water pumps, phones, transport and food deliveries.

The Rapid Support Forces, usually called the RSF, are a paramilitary group. In Sudan’s conflict, they are the main armed force fighting the country’s army. The RSF is led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, while the army is led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The war began in April 2023. The article describes it as a fight between the RSF and Sudan’s army, rather than a dispute limited to one city or one military site. The RSF has been accused by Sudanese officials of receiving outside funding, drones, logistics and foreign fighters. Officials said more than 20 countries back the group, although they named only Ethiopia and the UAE.

The article does not independently verify those broader claims. It also says the conflict has lasted more than three years and now includes attacks affecting power stations, fuel facilities and other civilian infrastructure. This expands the war’s effects beyond front-line fighting and increases regional concern.

Sudan’s army-led government says recent drones were launched from Ethiopian territory and supplied with help from the UAE. Officials presented several types of material to support that claim. The evidence was intended to connect the strikes with a launch location and an outside supplier.

At a briefing in Khartoum on 28 October 2026, officials showed flight data, satellite imagery and fragments of drones the army said it intercepted. They specifically named Bahir Dar Airport as one location in Ethiopia from which drones were allegedly launched. Officials from defence, foreign affairs, information and intelligence services made the accusations.

The evidence remains unproven. News reports said it could not be independently verified. Ethiopia and the UAE had not responded by 29 October, while the UAE had previously denied supporting the RSF. Sudan had made similar accusations earlier in the year and recalled its ambassador to Ethiopia in May.

Sudan’s conflict is a long-running civil war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces. The article says fighting began in April 2023 and has continued for more than three years. It now affects major infrastructure, including electricity stations, fuel storage and a pipeline.

Defence Minister Hassan Daoud Kabroun said more than 20 countries back the RSF with funding, drones, logistics and foreign fighters. That figure describes Sudanese officials’ claim, not an independently verified count. In the briefing, officials named only Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates as countries allegedly involved in enabling the recent drone attacks.

The distinction matters. The article does not provide a full list of the countries or confirm their roles. Ethiopia and the UAE had not responded to the latest accusations when published, and the UAE has previously denied supporting the RSF. The scale of alleged outside involvement adds to fears that the war could become more regional.

Attacks on power and fuel infrastructure can disrupt essential services across a wide area. Electricity supports hospitals, water pumps and phone networks. Fuel supports transport and food deliveries. When these systems fail, civilians can face problems far from the original target.

The article gives two examples. A drone strike disabled the Markhiyat power station in Omdurman and disrupted electricity across the capital area. Officials also said a power station and fuel storage in El Manaqil were hit, causing a blackout in that part of Gezira State. Fuel storage and a pipeline linked to Bashayer Port were reportedly struck as well.

The full humanitarian impact remains unclear. The article says the duration of the outages and the amount of fuel lost are unknown. It also says wider claims about attacks on hospitals, mosques and residential areas could not be verified. Even so, damage to the grid and fuel network can intensify pressure on civilians.

Sudan’s army-led government says drones attacking its infrastructure were launched from Ethiopia and supplied with UAE help. That would place neighbouring and regionally active states close to the conflict’s military operations. The claim matters because outside involvement can connect Sudan’s war to broader diplomatic and security rivalries.

The alleged launch sites are in Ethiopia, including Bahir Dar Airport, while Sudan says the UAE helped supply the drones. Sudanese officials also say more than 20 countries support the RSF with funding, drones, logistics and foreign fighters. The recent strikes targeted power stations, fuel storage and a pipeline, not only battlefield positions.

The claims are not independently verified. Ethiopia and the UAE had not responded when the report was published, and the UAE has previously denied supporting the RSF. Still, a formal dispute could complicate peace efforts. Fighting near Bashayer Port also creates a risk watched by Red Sea shippers and insurers, although no shipping effect was reported.

The article does not define drones. In general, a drone is an aircraft operated without a pilot sitting inside it. It may be controlled remotely or follow programmed guidance. This can let an operator conduct surveillance or deliver an attack without placing a pilot in the aircraft.

Distance is the key mechanism. A drone can be launched away from the immediate battlefield, travel toward a selected target and return or be destroyed after the strike. That makes infrastructure such as power stations, fuel storage and pipelines vulnerable even when those sites are not front-line positions. In Sudan, officials say drones reached targets in Omdurman, El Manaqil and near Bashayer Port.

The article does not confirm who launched or supplied these drones. Sudan presented flight data, satellite imagery and fragments, but reporters could not independently verify them. If the alleged cross-border launches are confirmed, attacks could increase pressure on civilians and deepen tensions between Sudan, Ethiopia and the UAE.