At least 153 people were killed in a drone strike on a market in Abyei, a disputed border region between Sudan and South Sudan, after the attack hit a nearby fuel depot and sparked a fire that continued to burn on Tuesday, a local official said.
Yohanna Akol Ngor, caretaker information minister of the Abyei administration, accused Sudan’s military of carrying out Monday’s strike on Amiet Market, located north of Abyei town.
Speaking to The Associated Press by phone on Tuesday, Ngor said the death toll was rising as the fire continued to rage.
A senior Sudanese military officer confirmed that the army conducted a drone attack on Monday, saying it targeted fuel tankers arriving from South Sudan that were allegedly supplying fuel to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The officer spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
He claimed those killed were RSF members and people involved in fuel smuggling, adding that the military did not target civilians. However, the AP could not independently verify the intended targets or the identities of the victims.
The officer also said the strike occurred outside the demilitarized zone along the Sudan-South Sudan border.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UN secretary-general condemned drone attacks near Amiet Market and Todach, reporting that dozens of civilians, including women and children, had been killed and many others wounded. The statement did not name those responsible for the attacks.
The United Nations said many people were still missing and the casualty count was likely to increase as the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) continued to verify the toll.
According to the statement, UNISFA deployed medical teams, firefighting equipment and quick reaction forces to provide emergency care, evacuate the injured and contain the fire.
Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French acronym MSF, said more than 20 injured people had been admitted to Ameth Bek Hospital, where its medical teams were working with personnel from South Sudan’s Health Ministry.
“So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted,” said Dr Christian Lindauer, MSF’s medical activities manager at the hospital.
South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry also blamed Sudan’s military for the attack, saying strikes on several locations inside the market caused civilian casualties and extensive damage to property.
The ministry said it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador to lodge a protest and called on Khartoum to “refrain from any actions that endanger civilian lives and property.” It also urged both sides to resolve disputes over Abyei through diplomatic means.
Sudan’s military and the RSF have been engaged in a devastating conflict since April 2023, causing widespread destruction across the country and threatening stability in neighbouring areas.
Ngor said the strike took place at around 11am on Monday and hit a fuel depot that supplied local businesses.
“It is a horrible and shocking situation,” he said.
MSF urged all parties to halt attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, warning that such violence threatens people's safe access to healthcare and other essential services.
Amiet Market serves as a major trading centre for the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities.
The status of oil-rich Abyei remained unresolved under a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war in Sudan. The dispute continued after South Sudan gained independence in 2011, as a proposed referendum on the region’s future stalled over disagreements about voter eligibility.
The Ngok Dinka, who form the majority of Abyei’s population, favour joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads, who depend on the region’s grazing lands, support remaining part of Sudan.
Abyei has also witnessed deadly communal clashes, including disputes over land between the Ngok Dinka and neighbouring Twic Dinka communities.