Drone strike on market in disputed Sudan border region kills at least 153

A drone strike on a market in Abyei, a border region disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, hit a nearby fuel depot, killing at least 153 people, a local official said on Tuesday.

Yohanna Akol Ngor, the Abyei administration’s caretaker information minister, blamed Sudan’s military for Monday’s attack on Amiet Market, north of Abyei town.

Ngor told Associated Press by phone that the death toll was continuing to rise as the fire burned.

A senior Sudanese military officer said the army carried out a drone strike Monday targeting fuel tankers arriving from South Sudan that he said were bound for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

The officer said those killed were RSF members and people involved in fuel smuggling. “We do not target civilians,” he said. AP could not independently verify his account of the targets or the identities of those killed.

The officer said the strike took place outside the demilitarised zone along the border with South Sudan.

In a statement Tuesday, the UN secretary general condemned drone attacks near Amiet Market and Todach, saying dozens of civilians, including women and children, had been killed and many others injured. The statement did not identify who carried out the attacks.

The UN said many people remained missing and the toll was expected to rise as the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei, known as UNISFA, continued verifying casualties.

The peacekeeping force deployed medical personnel, firefighting capabilities and quick reaction forces to provide emergency treatment, help evacuate casualties and prevent the fire from spreading, the statement said.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said more than 20 wounded people were brought to Ameth Bek Hospital, where MSF teams were working alongside staff 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, saying the attack hit multiple locations within the market, causing civilian casualties and extensive property damage.

The ministry said it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador to protest and urged Sudan to “refrain from any actions that endanger civilian lives and property”. It called for issues concerning Abyei to be addressed through diplomatic channels.

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.

Ngor said the strike hit around 11am Monday. He said the fuel depot supplied local businesses.

“It is a horrible and shocking situation,” he said.

MSF called on all parties to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, expressing concern about people’s ability to safely reach healthcare and other essential services.

Amiet Market is a trading hub serving the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities.

The oil-rich Abyei region’s status was left unresolved by a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war and remained unsettled when South Sudan became independent in 2011. A proposed referendum stalled over disagreements about who could vote.

The region’s majority Ngok Dinka population favours joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads who use its pastures favour Sudan. Abyei has also experienced deadly communal violence, including fighting over land between Ngok Dinka and neighbouring Twic Dinka communities.