A drone strike killed at least 153 people on Monday, October 19, at the Amiet market in the Abyei region disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, according to a toll released Tuesday by the local administration.
The Minister of Information of the Abyei Interim Administration, Yohanna Akol Ngor, told Reuters that the death toll had risen from 73 to 153 and could still increase. Fires caused by the attack were complicating the recovery of bodies. A video filmed on site and verified by the agency showed vehicles and buildings burned out, with flames still visible on Tuesday.
Accounts differ on the target and the identity of the victims. Yohanna Akol Ngor accused the Sudanese army, without providing any evidence. A senior Sudanese military official confirmed to the Associated Press that the army had carried out a strike, while asserting that it targeted tanker trucks intended for the Rapid Support Forces and not civilians. The agency was unable to independently verify this version.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the United Nations Secretary-General condemned the drone attacks near the Amiet and Todach markets. The text, which did not assign responsibility for the strikes, reported civilian casualties, including women and children, as well as numerous injured and missing persons. The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei was continuing to verify the victims.
Doctors Without Borders announced that it had treated more than 20 injured individuals at Ameth Bek hospital, including several critical cases and patients suffering from burns. According to Yohanna Akol Ngor, approximately 8,000 people had also been displaced by the attack, a figure that had not yet been independently confirmed.
The South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Sudanese ambassador and requested that the disputes concerning Abyei be resolved through diplomatic means. Juba also attributed the attack to the Sudanese army, while the United Nations has not identified any perpetrator.
Abyei remains claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan. Its status, left unresolved by the 2005 peace agreement, was not settled at South Sudan’s independence in 2011. The planned referendum failed due to disagreements over the definition of the electorate. The Amiet market serves as a major trading hub for the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities.
The war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023 has spread to the border areas. UNISFA has sent medical teams, firefighting resources, and rapid response units to Amiet to treat and evacuate the wounded, contain the fire, and secure the area.
