Abyei Drone Strike on Amiet Market Kills 53 to 73
Abyei officials put the dead at about 73, while a later official statement says 53. South Sudan summoned Sudan's ambassador; Sudan has neither claimed nor denied responsibility.
A drone attack on Amiet market, about 10 kilometers north of the town of Abyei, took place on Monday, October 19, at around 11:30 a.m., and the death toll has not yet been officially reconciled. Johana Akol Ngor, acting information minister of the Abyei area, told Reuters on Tuesday: “About 73 people were killed and 19 were wounded.” Radio Eye reports that an official statement later lowered the number of dead to 53.
Ngor blamed the Sudanese army but offered no evidence of responsibility. Local officials and the government of South Sudan blame the same side, while Sudan has neither claimed the attack nor denied it.
What happened at Amiet market?
Paramount chief of the Ngok Dinka community Bulabek Deng Kuol said the market was hit by about 12 drone strikes. According to Radio Tamazuj, the central and southern parts of the market and the northern gate were hit. Ngor said the victims include civilians from both Sudan and South Sudan.
Amiet market sits in Ameth-Aguok county and is an important trading hub for the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities, as well as for people displaced by the war in Sudan. The wounded were taken to the nearby Amet Bek hospital, where Doctors Without Borders works. Christian Lindauer, the organization’s head of medical activities at the hospital, said in a statement carried in Reuters’ report:
“So far we have received more than 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns have also been admitted. We are providing surgical care and wound dressing, along with other emergency treatment.”
The organization said in a statement that it is treating more than 20 wounded people at Amet Bek hospital.
How did South Sudan react?
On Monday evening, South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Sudan’s ambassador in Juba, Lieutenant General Isam Mohamed Hasan Karar, and lodged a protest. The statement reads: “The Government of the Republic of South Sudan condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack on Amiet market.” The ministry asked Sudan to refrain from actions that endanger the lives and property of civilians, and proposed that questions around Abyei be resolved through diplomatic channels and existing dialogue mechanisms.
The government expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The ministry said that by summoning the ambassador it was conveying “a strong protest and deep concern over the attack and its consequences for civilian safety and the stability of the Abyei area.” The statement issued on Monday evening did not say how many civilians had died.
Why do the death tolls differ?
On Tuesday Ngor spoke of about 73 dead, and Radio Tamazuj and Reuters report at least 73 dead and 19 wounded. Radio Eye says the official statement later reduced the figure to 53, with a higher number of wounded. Independent confirmation of either figure is not given in the sources we reviewed, so both are reported with attribution.
Why is Abyei disputed?
Abyei is an oil-rich area claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, and it has been a source of tension since South Sudan became independent in 2011. A referendum on its status was never held because the two states could not agree on voting rights and other questions. Interim administrative and security arrangements were set up in 2011, but the final status remains unresolved. Clashes in the area are frequent and usually involve rival ethnic groups or armed militias.
Last year a drone attack on a United Nations base in Abyei killed at least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and wounded eight, the Bangladeshi armed forces said. In neighboring Sudan, the war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has lasted since April 2023, and the United Nations describes it as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
