The primary power station in Zalingei town, the capital of Sudan’s Central Darfur, has been restored following weeks of disruptions caused by widespread destruction during confrontations between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.
The power station fell victim to random acts of looting and vandalism, affecting critical facilities across the state.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Sunday, Engineer Thabit Mudassir, a technician at the station, explained the unprecedented scale of vandalism, stating that the damage inflicted is extensive and poses challenges for the foreseeable future. The difficulty in addressing malfunctions is attributed to the severity of the damage.
Mudassir elaborated on the significant and systematic looting of generator parts, many of which can only be sourced from outside the country or the capital, which itself has been adversely impacted by the ongoing conflict.
“There have been instances of random cable cutting and intentional sabotage of control rooms and machines. Even if machine faults can be addressed, we are confronted with issues related to the damaged cables (A11/400) and copper. Additionally, there’s a problem with the sharing and synchronization of wires between the machines, many of which are either missing or completely burned,” explained Mudassir.
On the other hand, another engineer, Mujahid Abdo, played down the severity of the station’s current situation. He remarked that the situation remains under control, especially as long as the station is not directly exposed to artillery shelling or bombing.
He clarified that the malfunctions stemmed directly from deliberate acts of sabotage, a situation unfortunately expected during periods of security chaos and insufficient protection for the station.
Mujahid emphasized that resolving the station’s issues requires obtaining missing or damaged spare parts and restoring the facility. However, he underscored that the primary challenge lies in the restoration of cables and the importation of essential spare parts.
Engineer Ali Juma offered additional insights into the Zalingei power station, pointing out that it runs on diesel. The station consists of a generating unit and transformers responsible for distributing electricity from the machine to the distribution network.
“The damage has impacted the machine, internal connections, and the fuel cycle, as well as the power transformer, which necessitates a thorough mechanical examination to precisely assess the extent of the damage,” explained Juma.
He further noted that the station must replace the impaired equipment, while also addressing maintenance needs for the cables and the site affected by acts of sabotage. This includes comprehensive maintenance for ventilation and cooling systems.