Drone Strike Kills 73 in Disputed Sudanese Territory; South Sudan Lodges Protest

At least 73 people have been killed and 19 injured in a drone strike in Abyei, a disputed, oil-rich territory along the border between Sudan and South Sudan. South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has protested the attack and summoned the Sudanese ambassador stationed in Juba. According to the British news agency Reuters, Yohann Akol Ngor, Abyei’s acting information minister, blamed the Sudanese military for the attack. He said the Sudanese Armed Forces had shot down several drones the previous day, while also providing details about the casualties resulting from the strike.

According to South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the drones targeted a market north of Abyei town. The ministry did not specify the number of civilian casualties but expressed deep concern, describing the incident as a serious matter. It summoned the Sudanese ambassador in Juba and lodged a strong protest over the attack. The incident could further heighten tensions in the territory, which is already disputed by the two countries.

The medical aid organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said its medical staff had treated more than 20 wounded people at nearby Amiet Bek Hospital, some of whom were in critical condition. Christian Lindauer, MSF’s medical activities manager at the hospital, said the injured included people who had suffered burns. The hospital is providing emergency medical care, surgery and wound treatment. Abyei is rich in oil reserves and is jointly administered by Sudan and South Sudan, although both countries claim sovereignty over the territory. Violence has occurred there in the past, including clashes between rival ethnic groups and armed militias.

Last year, a drone strike on a United Nations base in Abyei killed six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injured eight others. Bangladesh’s armed forces confirmed the incident. Sudan has been engulfed in war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Local armed groups and foreign powers have also become involved in the conflict, causing widespread destruction across various parts of the country. The United Nations has described the situation in Sudan as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The ongoing fighting has severely affected civilians and increased the need for humanitarian assistance across the country.