The death toll from a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei area between Sudan and South Sudan has risen to 153, with more casualties feared, local authorities said on Wednesday.
The strike hit Amiet Market on Monday, destroying buildings and vehicles and setting parts of the trading area ablaze.
Yohana Akol, interim information minister for the Abyei Special Administrative Area, said rescuers were still searching for bodies, some of which had been burned beyond recognition.
He said the victims included Sudanese, South Sudanese, Ethiopians and Somalis, while 19 people had been hospitalised. The number of casualties could rise as rescue efforts continued.
A witness told AFP that multiple drones had hovered over the market before bombing parts of the trading area and surrounding locations. Another witness reported severe damage to fuel depots.
Abyei authorities blamed the Sudanese army for the attack, which involved multiple munitions. The allegation came amid the wider conflict in Sudan, where fighting between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed thousands and displaced millions since April 2023.
South Sudan’s foreign ministry said it had summoned the Sudanese ambassador over the attack, condemning the strike in the strongest terms.
The United Nations also condemned the violence, warning that the escalation in drone attacks formed part of a deeply concerning pattern.
The Abyei area is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan in 2011 after decades of conflict.
Parts of the territory are controlled by a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North, a breakaway group from the movement that fought for South Sudan’s independence.
The market strike followed other attacks across Sudan on Sunday and Monday that reportedly killed more than 100 people, highlighting the continuing toll of the country’s war.
Discussion0