Face of Truth: Electricity and the Prospects of Returning to Khartoum
Ibrahim Shaglawi
We return to the issue of electricity as one of the key indicators of national recovery in the post-war phase. Government efforts are progressing rapidly to rebuild the infrastructure that suffered unprecedented destruction over the past period.
Yesterday, the state of Khartoum announced the arrival of 160 electrical transformers and their entry into service, with an additional 600 transformers expected in December, as part of an integrated plan to achieve more than 90% of the state’s transformer needs within three months—an impressive shift considering the extent of destruction, weakened revenues, and the high costs borne by the government.
These steps come within a broader vision led by the Ministry of Energy since Minister Al-Mutasim Ibrahim assumed office in August 2025. He has worked to rebuild the energy sector within the map of international cooperation. In his address during “Russian Energy Week” in Moscow, he affirmed that despite the effects of war, Sudan is still capable of producing oil and is working to increase production through new partnerships, particularly with Russia, from which Sudan hopes to obtain technical support for developing hydropower. His position on economic sanctions was also clear, emphasizing that unilateral measures should not deprive Sudan of its right to import energy.
Notably, the ministry expanded its international cooperation map to include Turkey and the United States in the fields of oil and electricity, in addition to partnerships with the French company Schneider for supplying and maintaining transformers, with special attention to training human resources, introducing renewable energy, and securing petroleum products. These combined paths form an important driver in revitalizing the energy sector.
On the domestic level, the meetings of the Higher Committee for Preparing the Environment for the Return of Citizens to Khartoum reflect the scale of government efforts to address the damage inflicted on the electricity and water sectors. Member of the Sovereignty Council, General Ibrahim Jaber, praised the performance of the electricity and water committees, underscoring the need to intensify efforts to stabilize services. A report from the Khartoum Water Authority showed progress in addressing leakages and constructing a new pipeline to resolve the Al-Azhari water crisis with a completion rate of 90%, along with the operation of the Halfaya plant at a capacity of 30,000 cubic meters per day.
In the electricity sector, maintenance and operation works were completed at the Hilla Kuku and Soba stations, along with the installation of 294 kilometers of transmission lines and the connection of all water stations to the public grid. During November, 820 transformers were repaired and brought into service, alongside ongoing arrangements to receive new transformers in the coming days—promising citizens a gradual return to stable electricity. The power transmission sector also improved with the re-entry of the Garri station into service after completing maintenance of the line connecting Khartoum and the River Nile state, a step considered one of the most important factors for ensuring stable power supply.
The restoration of electricity and services constitutes a political benchmark for the return of governance institutions to Khartoum. The resumption of services sends an internal and external message that the capital is coming back to life, that the state has regained its essential tools of administration, and that the discussion about the government’s return is no longer merely political but tied to the state’s ability to restore operations, rebuild public trust, and secure an environment suitable for stability.
However, these positive indicators do not conceal the painful truth of the vast destruction inflicted on the infrastructure. Major stations such as Garri, Bahri, and Jebel Aulia were destroyed by 100% due to attacks by the Rapid Support Forces militia. Khartoum witnessed the looting of more than 15,000 transformers, the destruction of 150,000 kilometers of lines, the theft of thousands of tons of cables, and the seizure of tens of thousands of barrels of transformer oils—leading to the loss of more than 1,000 megawatts, representing 35% of total energy production.
This collapse left a deep impact on the industrial sector, which suffered severe losses due to the war. According to Minister of Industry Mahasin Ali Yaqub, 1,877 factories were destroyed in Khartoum alone, including 553 that were completely destroyed and 1,267 partially damaged. This resulted in an almost total shutdown of industry in Khartoum, Gezira, and Sennar, forcing the country to import basic goods and increasing the financial burdens on the state. Despite this, the minister announced her ministry’s readiness to proceed with a comprehensive reconstruction plan, already beginning to operate several factories in safer states to produce essential goods tied to citizens’ daily needs.
According to Face of Truth, what is happening today in the electricity and energy sector is a test of the state’s ability to restore its essential tools for rebuilding the capital, preparing conditions for citizens’ return, and enhancing prospects for stability. At the heart of this scene, political, economic, and security dimensions intertwine to shape the features of a new phase that goes beyond maintenance to redefine the very function of the state—affirming its capacity to rise again, restoring Khartoum as a viable national capital, mapping out the future, and serving as a mirror of the resilience of the Sudanese people and their determination to emerge from the darkness of war into the light of safety and reconstruction.
Wishing you well and in good health.
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
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