At least 73 people were reportedly killed and 19 wounded when drones hit a market in disputed Abyei on Monday, October 19, as South Sudanese officials blamed Sudan’s army and Juba lodged a formal protest.
The strike hit Amiet Common Market, about 10 kilometres from Abyei town, according to local officials. Local officials said drones hit several parts of the market, while fires and thick smoke made it harder to recover victims. Abyei’s caretaker information minister, Yohana Akol Ngor, said the death toll could rise as recovery work continued.
The victims included civilians from both Sudan and South Sudan, many of whom were traders. Médecins Sans Frontières said it was treating more than 20 wounded people at a nearby hospital. The patients included people in critical condition and people with burns.
South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said drones had hit a market north of Abyei town. It summoned Sudan’s ambassador to express concern, but did not give its own count of casualties. Ngor accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of carrying out the attack, but gave no evidence.
Reuters reported that Sudan’s military had not immediately responded to the accusation. The oil-rich Abyei area is jointly administered by Sudan and South Sudan, and both countries claim the territory. The area’s unresolved status has contributed to repeated insecurity.