More than 150 people died when a drone strike on a busy market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday destroyed a fuel depot and displaced some 8,000 residents. South Sudanese officials blamed Sudan’s military for the attack, while local hospitals struggled to treat more than 20 critical burn and shrapnel injuries.
The deadly bombing struck the Amiet Market around midday on Monday. It set off a massive fire that continued to burn into Tuesday and severely hampered rescue efforts.
The fact around this case are deeply disturbing. Army officials claiming they "dont target civilians" and yet choose to strike a market during the day. They claim they are striking against fuel smugglers, but is that really such a grave issue in this war? https://t.co/UjsOW7VRKS
Caretaker Information Minister Yohana Akol Ngor said the death toll had reached at least 153. He warned that the final count would likely rise further as emergency recovery work proceeded under difficult conditions.
According to the region’s information minister, the attack took place on Monday around 11:30 local time targeting Amiet Market around 10km from Abyei town. Approximately 8,000 residents were forced from their homes by the strike, according to Mr Ngor. He added that ongoing blazes were blocking rescue crews from recovering deceased victims.
First I have seen attacks inside of Abyei town. A highly risky move, but equally risky for RSF/SPLM-N forces to be basing out of there. https://t.co/8Qqq6uR21T
Witnesses reported hearing multiple large explosions before the flames engulfed the area. Three diplomatic sources, an aid worker, and an expert on the conflict confirmed to reporters that the strike hit a fuel depot within the trading hub.
One observer reported counting 28 charred corpses. That same observer saw people suffering from stomach and leg shrapnel wounds, while emphasizing the absence of Sudan’s RSF or any uniformed personnel in the trading hub where items like flour, sugar, and biscuits are traded.
Diplomatic sources indicated the market is a transit point for RSF logistics.
Officials Dispute Responsibility For The Strike
Officials in South Sudan quickly pointed to the Sudanese Armed Forces as the perpetrator.
A senior Sudanese military officer offered a different account, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The officer stated that the army targeted fuel tankers arriving from South Sudan. Those tankers were bound for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces outside the demilitarized border zone, he said, insisting that military forces do not target civilians
.
Hospital Overwhelmed With Casualties
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French abbreviation MSF, reported that its staff rushed to handle an influx of severe trauma cases at nearby Ameth Bek Hospital alongside personnel from South Sudan’s Health Ministry.
Medecins Sans Frontieres stated that its staff was treating more than 20 wounded people at the nearby Ameth Bek hospital.
So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted.
Dr. Christian Lindauer, MSF’s medical activities manager at the hospital
Medical teams provided surgical services, wound dressing, and emergency care while patients filled available floor space due to limited facilities.
UN Condemns Strike In Abyei
Monday’s aerial assault faced strong rebuke from the United Nations, pushing the cumulative fatalities from recent strikes past the 250 mark.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned that relentless aerial operations were taking a devastating toll on civilian populations caught in more than three years of civil conflict.
The violence highlights the long-standing instability of Abyei, an oil-rich territory whose final status was left unresolved by a 2005 peace agreement that ended decades of civil war in Sudan. The area remained unsettled after South Sudan gained independence in 2011 when a proposed referendum stalled over disagreements about who could vote.
South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011. Amiet Market serves as an economic lifeline shared by the majority Ngok Dinka population, who favor joining South Sudan, and Misseriya nomads who use its pastures and favor Sudan.
