Drone strike kills at least 73 people at market in disputed Abyei region
A drone strike on a crowded market in Abyei, a territory claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, has killed at least 73 people according to a government minister. The attack ranks among the deadliest incidents to affect the contested border region in recent years.
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A drone strike hit a crowded market in Abyei, the oil-rich territory claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, killing at least 73 people, according to a government minister who spoke to Reuters. The attack ranks among the deadliest to strike the contested border region in recent years.
Abyei has remained in legal and political limbo since South Sudan's independence from Sudan in 2011. Both governments claim sovereignty over the area, and a long-promised referendum on its final status has never taken place. The region has repeatedly been the scene of clashes between rival communities and armed groups linked to the two countries. These tensions have been exacerbated by the wider conflict that has been raging in Sudan since 2023.
No group had claimed responsibility for the strike at the time of reporting, and the identity of the attacker was not confirmed in initial accounts.
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