Arabic version: مقتل 153 في ضربة بطائرة مسيّرة استهدفت سوقاً في أبيي

According to France 24, at least 153 people were killed when a drone strike hit a market in Abyei, a border region disputed by Sudan and South Sudan. The attack struck Amiet Market on Monday and hit a nearby fuel depot, triggering a fire that was still burning on Tuesday.

Yohanna Akol Ngor, the Abyei administration’s caretaker information minister, blamed Sudan’s military for the attack. He said the toll was continuing to rise as the fire burned and said the fuel depot supplied local businesses. The motive was not immediately clear, and the report said responsibility could not be independently verified. Sudan’s military did not respond to a request for comment.

Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, said more than 20 wounded people had been taken to Ameth Bek Hospital, where its teams were working with South Sudan’s Health Ministry staff. Dr. Christian Lindauer, MSF’s medical activities manager at the hospital, said several patients were in critical condition and that people with burns had been admitted.

South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry also blamed Sudan’s military, saying multiple locations in the market were hit, causing civilian casualties and extensive property damage. It said it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador in protest and called for Abyei-related issues to be handled through diplomatic channels. MSF urged all parties to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Amiet Market serves the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities. Abyei’s oil-rich status remained unresolved after a 2005 peace agreement and South Sudan’s 2011 independence, while a proposed referendum stalled over disagreement about voting rights. Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023.