At least 53 people were killed and 27 others injured in a drone strike on Amiet Market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday, local authorities said.
Authorities in Abyei accused the Sudanese army of carrying out the attack, alleging that 22 munitions were deployed during the strike.
In a statement, officials said the victims included women, children, elderly people, local traders, members of the Ngok Dinka community, South Sudanese returnees and Sudanese refugees who had sought shelter from the wider regional conflict.
The United Nations condemned the attack, reporting that at least 28 civilians had been killed at Amiet Market, with many others injured or still unaccounted for. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described the escalating drone strikes as part of a deeply concerning pattern of violence.
The latest incident comes amid a surge in violence across Sudan, where strikes on Sunday and Monday reportedly killed more than 100 people.
Sudan has been engulfed in a devastating conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, resulting in widespread displacement and a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The Abyei region is disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, which became independent from Sudan in 2011 after decades of conflict. Parts of the area are controlled by a faction of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), which split from the movement that fought for South Sudan’s independence.
South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Sudanese ambassador over the attack. Juba accused the Sudanese army of striking several locations within the market, which serves as a transit hub for goods destined for areas controlled by the RSF.
The attack has raised further concerns over civilian safety as fighting continues to spread across Sudan and surrounding disputed areas.
