Protests Block Key Highway to Egypt Over Ongoing Power Cuts in Northern Sudan

Northern Sudan April 8, 2026 ; Dozens of residents in the town of Abri blocked a major highway linking Sudan and Egypt on Wednesday in protest against prolonged electricity shortages, disrupting a key trade and transport route. Demonstrators set tyres on fire and obstructed the road connecting Dongola to Wadi Halfa, a strategic corridor for cross-border movement and commerce between the two countries. A member of a local emergency response group in Wadi Halfa said residents were angered by the inclusion of Abri in a recent electricity rationing schedule, arguing that the area should not be affected due to its supply connection with Egypt. Protesters claim that electricity transmitted from Egypt is sufficient to meet local demand without the need for scheduled outages. They argue that the rationing decision is unjustified and has severely disrupted daily life. Egypt supplies electricity to several towns in northern Sudan under a long-standing arrangement, with these areas historically exempt from national grid load-shedding measures implemented to manage fuel shortages and infrastructure constraints. In a statement issued by demonstrators, local authorities were criticized for attributing the power cuts to external geopolitical tensions, including instability in global energy markets and maritime security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz. Protesters rejected this explanation, calling it disconnected from local realities. They warned that continued blackouts have paralyzed markets, disrupted public services, and worsened living conditions in the region. The protesters said they would escalate their demonstrations and maintain the highway blockade until authorities reverse the rationing decision and restore stable electricity supply.