(JUBA/ABYEI) – South Sudan has summoned Sudan’s ambassador to Juba and condemned a drone strike on Amiet Market in the disputed Abyei region that killed at least 73 people and wounded 19 others.
The attack struck the market at about 11am on Monday, 19th October, hitting its central and southern sections and the northern gate . Local officials blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces for the strike .
Abyei’s caretaker information minister, Yohana Akol Ngor, told Reuters that about 73 people were killed and 19 wounded, adding that drones were launched by the Sudanese armed forces . He did not provide evidence for the claim .
The victims included South Sudanese citizens and Sudanese civilians displaced to the area by the conflict in Sudan.
South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement that it had summoned Sudan’s ambassador, Essam Mohamed Hassan Karrar, to convey the government’s strong protest and deep concern over the attack and its implications for civilian security and stability in Abyei .
“The Government of the Republic of South Sudan condemns in the strongest terms possible the attack on Amiet Market,” the ministry said.
The ministry said the strike hit multiple locations within the market, causing civilian casualties, injuries and significant damage to property. It urged Sudan to refrain from actions that endanger civilian lives and property and called for issues concerning Abyei to be addressed through diplomatic channels and existing dialogue mechanism.
The ministry also called on the Sudanese government to take measures to prevent similar incidents and reiterated South Sudan’s commitment to protecting civilians and resolving disputes peacefully in accordance with international law.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said it was treating more than 20 wounded people at nearby Ameth Bek Hospital, including several critical cases and patients with burns . Christian Lindauer, MSF medical activities manager at the hospital, said the team was providing surgical services, wound dressing and other emergency care .
The market, also known as Al-Naam, lies about 10 kilometres north of Abyei town and is one of the largest trading centres along the Sudan-South Sudan border . It has become a major hub for fuel, food, building materials and medicine flowing from South Sudan to Sudan’s Kordofan and Darfur regions, with commercial activity surging since the war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 .
The Sudanese government has not commented on the accusations .
Abyei is an oil rich area jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, both of which claim sovereignty over it. The region has seen frequent violence involving rival ethnic groups and armed militia.
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