At least 73 people have been killed and 19 others injured after drone strikes hit a busy market in the disputed Abyei region along the Sudan-South Sudan border, local officials have said.
The attack occurred on Monday at Amiet Common Market, about 10 kilometres from Abyei town, according to the region’s caretaker information minister, Yohana Akol Ngor.
Ngor accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of carrying out the strikes but did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegation. The responsibility for the attack has not been independently established.
The drones reportedly struck several sections of the market, including the northern entrance and areas where fuel was sold, triggering fires and causing extensive damage.
Ngor said some victims’ bodies had been burned beyond recognition, while thick smoke hampered recovery efforts. He warned that the death toll could rise as emergency operations continued.
South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that drones had struck a market in the region and summoned Sudan’s ambassador to express its strong protest and concern over the incident.
The ministry said the attack raised serious concerns about civilian safety and stability in Abyei, a disputed, oil-rich territory claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.
Meanwhile, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it was treating more than 20 people injured in the attack at Ameth Bek Hospital.
The organisation’s medical activities manager at the hospital, Christian Lindauer, said several patients were in critical condition, while others sustained burn injuries.
He said medical teams were providing surgical services, wound dressing and other emergency care to the victims.
The attack comes amid Sudan’s prolonged conflict, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The fighting has devastated large parts of Sudan, displaced millions of people and worsened an already severe humanitarian crisis. The conflict has also drawn in local armed groups and external actors, further complicating efforts to restore peace.
Abyei has remained a flashpoint since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, with both countries claiming the territory. Interim administrative and security arrangements have been established, but its final status remains unresolved.
The Sudanese government had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.
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