A drone strike hit a fuel depot at Amiet Market in disputed Abyei on October 19 and killed at least 153 people, a local official said; the United Nations condemned the civilian deaths, while Sudan’s government denied its military was responsible.
Yohanna Akol Ngor, the Abyei administration’s caretaker information minister, said the reported death toll had risen from an initial 73. A fire made rescue and recovery work harder. A separate report citing local authorities put the toll at 220.
That figure has not been independently confirmed. The UN said it was still checking casualty figures and reported that dozens had died in strikes near Amiet Market and Todach. A Sudanese military officer told the Associated Press that the army had struck fuel tankers it alleged were supplying the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The AP could not confirm what the army intended to hit or the identities of those killed. Sudan’s government later denied responsibility for the attack. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attacks.
The UN’s interim force in Abyei sent medical personnel, firefighting equipment and other support. South Sudan also summoned Sudan’s ambassador in protest. The market is in Abyei, an oil-rich area claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.
Abyei’s status remains unresolved. This has made the region especially sensitive as Sudan’s war continues.