ABYEI OFFICIAL REPORTS 153 DEATHS IN MARKET DRONE STRIKE

A drone strike on Amiet Market in the disputed Abyei region killed at least 153 people on Monday, according to Yohanna Akol Ngor, the Abyei administration’s caretaker information minister. Ngor said the strike hit at about 11am, north of Abyei town, and set a nearby fuel depot alight. He said the fire was still burning on Tuesday and the death toll could rise. South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation blamed Sudan’s military and said drones struck several places within the market. Sudan’s armed forces made no immediate public comment on the allegation.

Ngor said the fuel depot supplied local businesses. Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, said Ameth Bek Hospital had received more than 20 wounded people, including patients with burns and several in critical condition. MSF teams worked at the hospital alongside staff from South Sudan’s Health Ministry. An unnamed senior Sudanese officer said the army had targeted fuel tankers bound for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and claimed those killed were RSF members and fuel smugglers. United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said drone attacks near Amiet Market and Todach killed dozens of civilians, including women and children, without identifying who carried out the attacks.

South Sudan’s ministry said it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador and urged Sudan to “refrain from any actions that endanger civilian lives and property”. It called for disputes concerning Abyei to be addressed through diplomatic channels. The ministry also reported extensive property damage at the market. Sudan’s military and the RSF have fought since April 2023, with the conflict affecting large parts of Sudan and its border regions. The RSF made no immediate comment on the strike.