The strike and the rising toll

A drone strike on Amiet Market, north of Abyei town, killed at least 153 people on Monday, according to the Abyei administration's caretaker information minister, Yohanna Akol Ngor. Akol told The Associated Press by phone on Tuesday that the death toll was rising while a fire still burned at a nearby fuel depot that he said supplied local businesses.

The strike hit around 11am Monday, according to Akol. The motive was not immediately clear, and The Associated Press could not independently verify who carried out the attack.

Who is blamed

The Abyei administration blamed Sudan's military for the attack on the market.

"It is a horrible and shocking situation," Akol said.

South Sudan's Foreign Ministry likewise accused Sudan's military, saying the strike struck several spots across the market and left civilians dead alongside widespread damage to property. According to the ministry, Sudan's ambassador was summoned over the attack, and Khartoum was urged to "refrain from any actions that endanger civilian lives and property". Abyei-related disputes, the ministry said, should be settled diplomatically. Sudan's military did not respond to a request for comment.

Treating the wounded

Doctors Without Borders said more than 20 wounded people were brought to Ameth Bek Hospital, where its teams worked alongside South Sudan's Health Ministry staff. Dr. Christian Lindauer, the organization's medical activities manager at the hospital, described the admissions.

"So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted," he said.

The medical charity called on all parties to stop attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, saying it was concerned about access to healthcare and essential services.

Why Abyei is disputed

Amiet Market is a trading hub serving the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities.

• •The oil-rich Abyei region's status was left unresolved by the 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war.
• •It remained unsettled when South Sudan became independent in 2011.
• •A proposed referendum stalled over disagreements about who could vote.
• •Abyei's majority Ngok Dinka population favors joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads who use its pastures favor Sudan.
• •Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting since April 2023, devastating parts of the country and threatening border stability.

The Abyei death toll was still rising on Tuesday as the fuel depot fire burned, and Sudan's military had not responded to a request for comment.