Sudan protests spread over crippling power cuts, water shortages

CAIRO – Protesters blocked parts of Sudan’s main highway linking Port Sudan with the capital Khartoum for a second day on Saturday, while mounting water shortages in Omdurman deepened public frustration over deteriorating basic services in areas controlled by the army-backed government.

Residents in the Red Sea State towns of Suakin and Gebeit blocked sections of the strategic highway after prolonged electricity outages left homes, businesses and public services without power during an intense heatwave.

The demonstrations, which began on Friday and continued into Saturday, mark one of the most visible expressions of public anger in eastern Sudan since the civil war erupted more than three years ago.

Residents said repeated appeals to the authorities had failed to produce any lasting solution to the electricity crisis.

“We could no longer endure the heat without power,” one protester in Suakin told Sudan Tribune, saying daily blackouts lasted up to 12 hours and had disrupted every aspect of daily life.

Another demonstrator in Gebeit described the road blockade as a last resort after months of rolling power cuts that have crippled businesses, public services and transport.

The protests came as the Sudan Meteorological Authority warned of dangerously high temperatures across Red Sea State, advising residents to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and warning of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Port Sudan resident Fatima Ali said children and elderly people were suffering most from the prolonged outages.

“The blackouts have made basic living conditions increasingly difficult,” she said.

Growing strain in army-held areas

The demonstrations are significant because they erupted in territory firmly controlled by Sudan’s military and the administration of Prime Minister Kamil Idris, which has been operating from Port Sudan since war broke out in April 2023.

Political analysts say the unrest reflects growing public frustration over the government’s inability to restore essential services despite repeatedly presenting eastern Sudan as comparatively stable compared with front-line areas.

The blockade of one of Sudan’s most important transport corridors also highlights the strategic importance of Red Sea State, which has become the country’s principal administrative and logistical hub after government institutions relocated from Khartoum.

Local media said the nationwide electricity crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with many areas experiencing power cuts exceeding 18 hours a day.

The shortages have been blamed on extensive war damage to power stations and transmission networks, disruptions to regional electricity supplies and severe fuel shortages affecting thermal power plants.

The collapse of the electricity sector has placed additional strain on Sudan’s already fragile economy and public services.

Water shortages worsen

The electricity crisis has been compounded by growing shortages of drinking water in Omdurman, part of the greater Khartoum area, where supplies were cut to large parts of the city for a second consecutive day.

Dozens of residents gathered near the Old Well area close to the Al-Manara water station to collect water from alternative sources after supplies through the main network stopped.

Witnesses described long queues of people carrying containers in search of water as temperatures continued to rise.

Residents said the disruption had come without official explanation, fuelling growing frustration among families already struggling with the impact of the war.

Observers warned that prolonged water shortages risk worsening public health conditions and placing additional pressure on already overstretched communities.

War compounds humanitarian crisis

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced nearly 13 million and pushed large parts of the country towards famine, with humanitarian agencies estimating that more than 30 million people require urgent assistance.

The deterioration in electricity and water supplies comes as Sudan remains divided between the army-backed government based in Port Sudan and a rival administration aligned with the RSF in Darfur.

Analysts say the worsening service failures risk adding a new layer of instability by fuelling popular discontent in areas previously viewed as relatively insulated from the direct effects of the war.

For many Sudanese, the immediate struggle is no longer only the conflict itself but the daily challenge of securing electricity, clean water and other basic necessities essential for survival.