Electricity was restored in a number of cities and towns in Darfur, Western Sudan yesterday after an interruption of more than a week. Power outages have been a problem for over two months.
Large parts of Sudan experienced power blackouts since early November. The Turkish company Karadeniz, whose powership Rauf Bey* delivers power to Sudan’s national grid, cut-off supplies after the Sudanese government allegedly failed to pay an outstanding bill.
The governor of South Darfur, Musa Mahdi Ishaq, said in a press statement that the electricity problem is federal and that the Turkish company cut off electricity to demand the federal government to pay its electricity debt.
He pointed out that all concerned parties, the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Council of Ministers, and the Sovereignty Council, were addressed to pay off the electricity debt.
In particular Nyala, capital of South Darfur, El Fasher on North Darfur, and Ed Daein in East Darfur were hit by the power outages.
Doctors reported that emergency and intensive care departments, laboratories, blood banks, and pharmacies had to close in the Nyala Teaching Hospital and the Nyala Specialised Hospital as a result of the shortages.
On Sunday, people protested in Nyala against the power outages. It is also reported that the governor of East Darfur resigned as a result of the delays of the federal government in paying the electricity debt.
Recently, there have also been protests about the recently imposed 500 per cent increase of the electricity tariffs.
