Drone strike on market in disputed Abyei region kills 73, South Sudan says

At least 73 people were killed and 19 wounded when drones struck a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border of South Sudan and Sudan, the region’s caretaker information minister told Reuters on Tuesday.

Yohana Akol Ngor, caretaker minister of information for the jointly administered region, accused Sudan’s army of carrying out Monday’s attack. He did not provide evidence for his claim of who was responsible.

South Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement late on Monday that drones struck a market located north of Abyei town, but did not specify the number of civilian casualties. The ministry said it had summoned the Sudanese ambassador to convey the government’s “strong protest and deep concern regarding the attack and its implications for the security of civilians and the stability of the Abyei Area.”

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said it was treating more than 20 wounded people at the nearby Ameth Bek Hospital. “So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted. We are providing surgical services and wound dressing, along with other emergency care,” said Christian Lindauer, MSF’s medical activities manager at the hospital.

Abyei is an oil-rich area jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, which have both staked claims to it. It experiences frequent bouts of violence, with clashes usually involving rival ethnic groups or armed militias. Last year, at least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone attack by separatist armed groups on a UN base in Abyei, Bangladesh’s armed forces said.