Travel to and from South Sudan faces new risks after deadly Abyei market strike

A drone strike on a market in Abyei, a border region disputed by Sudan and South Sudan, killed at least 153 people, according to a South Sudanese official. The attack hit Amiet Market, north of Abyei town, and fires were still burning at the site afterwards.

Key facts

• Location: Amiet Market, north of Abyei town, in the Abyei region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan.
• Casualties: at least 153 people killed, with the toll expected to rise.
• Who is blamed: South Sudan's government blames Sudan's military; Sudan's armed forces made no immediate comment.
• Aid response: Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it is treating more than 20 wounded people, some with severe burns.
• Verification: the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) is still confirming casualties; many people remain missing.

What happened?

The strike targeted Amiet Market in Abyei. Yohanna Akol Ngor, the Abyei administration's caretaker minister of information, said fires continued to burn at the site and that the death toll was likely to rise. He said some bodies had been burned to ashes.

Abyei is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, which became independent in 2011, and the oil-rich area is jointly administered. It borders Sudan's Kordofan area, which the report describes as a major centre of fighting in the war.

Who is being blamed?

South Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation blamed Sudan's military, saying drones hit several locations in the market. The ministry said it had summoned Sudan's ambassador and called on its northern neighbour to avoid acts that endanger civilian lives and property.

Sudan's armed forces did not comment immediately. A senior Sudanese officer, speaking anonymously to the Associated Press, said the army struck fuel tankers arriving from South Sudan that were bound for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and that those killed were RSF members and fuel smugglers. Unnamed diplomats told Reuters the strike hit a fuel depot in the market that the RSF had previously used to supply its fighters. The RSF also made no immediate comment.

What are the UN and aid groups saying?

The United Nations secretary-general's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, condemned drone attacks near Amiet Market and Todach, saying dozens of civilians, including women and children, had been killed and many others injured. The statement did not identify who carried out the attacks.

The UN said many people were still missing and that the toll was likely to increase while UNISFA verifies casualties. MSF said it was treating more than 20 wounded patients, some with severe burns.

What this means for travellers

The strike hit a civilian market in a contested border zone where the war between Sudan's army and the RSF, which began in April 2023, continues to affect the surrounding area. South Sudan says it has not taken sides in the conflict, while diplomats say Abyei has become an important route for RSF fuel supplies.

Anyone considering travel to or near the Abyei region should follow updates from the UN force and the authorities named above, and check their own government's current travel advice before making plans.

UNISFA's verification of the dead, injured and missing is ongoing, and officials expect the number of victims to rise.