At Least 153 Killed in Drone Strike on Market in Disputed Abyei Region on Sudan Border

A drone strike hit Amiet Market in Abyei, a region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, at around 11am on Monday. The blast also struck a nearby fuel depot and set off a fire that was still burning on Tuesday. A local official said at least 153 people had died.

Yohanna Akol Ngor, caretaker information minister of the Abyei administration, told The Associated Press (AP) by phone that the toll was still climbing while the fire raged. He blamed Sudan's military. The motive was not immediately clear, and the AP could not independently verify who carried out the attack. Sudan's military did not respond to a request for comment. Akol called the situation horrible and shocking, and said the fuel depot supplied local businesses.

Aid and reaction

Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, said more than 20 wounded people, including several critical cases and patients with burns, had been brought to Ameth Bek Hospital. MSF teams work there alongside staff from South Sudan's Health Ministry. The group urged all parties to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

South Sudan's Foreign Ministry also blamed Sudan's military, saying the strike hit several locations in the market and caused civilian casualties and extensive property damage. It summoned Sudan's ambassador to protest, urged Sudan to refrain from actions endangering civilian lives and property, and called for Abyei issues to be handled through diplomatic channels.

Background

Amiet Market is a trading hub for the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities. The status of the oil-rich Abyei region was left unresolved by a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war, and it remained unsettled when South Sudan became independent in 2011. A proposed referendum stalled over disagreements about who could vote. The majority Ngok Dinka population favours joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads who use the region's pastures favour Sudan.

Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, devastating large parts of the country and threatening stability along its borders.