Sudanese army drone strikes kill 73 civilians at disputed Abyei market

At least 73 people were killed and 19 others wounded when drone attacks struck the Amiet Common Market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday morning, local officials said.

Abyei Information Minister Yohana Akol Ngor accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of carrying out the strikes, which began around 11:30 a.m. and targeted the market's centre, southern sections, and northern gate. Approximately 12 drone strikes hit the busy trading hub, located about 10 kilometres from Abyei town, according to Bulabek Deng Kuol, paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka community.

The victims were civilians from both Sudan and South Sudan, most of them traders, Ngor said. Some bodies were burned beyond recognition, and the search for remains was suspended due to heavy smoke. The injured were taken to Abyei Hospital, with some in critical condition. The minister warned the death toll could rise as emergency teams continued working to extinguish fires at the market, where fuel was sold.

Multiple sources told Radio Tamazuj that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces used the joint market to obtain fuel for their troops. A Sudanese trader at the market said those confirmed killed included Sudanese and South Sudanese nationals as well as four Somalis. RSF officials could not be reached for comment.

Abyei, an oil-producing region under UN protection, has remained a source of tension between Sudan and South Sudan since South Sudan gained independence in 2011.