At least 153 people were killed in a drone strike on a market in Abyei, the disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan, according to local authorities, as rescue workers struggled with fires and overwhelmed medical services.
The attack took place Monday, October 19, at Amiet Market, north of Abyei town. Abyei caretaker information minister Yohanna Akol Ngor told Reuters and the Associated Press on Tuesday that the death toll had reached 153 and could rise as recovery operations continued. The figure is attributed to local officials and has not been independently established through a comprehensive casualty count.
What happened at the market?
Reporting by Reuters and AP indicates that the strike hit a fuel depot near or within the busy market, triggering a major fire. The blaze made it difficult for emergency crews to recover bodies and reach victims. The market is an important trading center for communities living across the Sudan–South Sudan border.
South Sudanese and Abyei officials accused Sudan’s military of carrying out the attack. That accusation has not been independently verified. Reuters reported that Sudan’s armed forces did not immediately respond to its request for comment. The identity of the aircraft operator, the intended target and the circumstances of the strike therefore remain unresolved.
Hospitals treat burn victims
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said its teams and local health workers at Ameth Bek Hospital were treating more than 20 wounded people, including patients with serious burns. That hospital figure does not represent the total number injured across the region.
Reuters reported that local authorities estimated around 8,000 people had been displaced by the bombing. The estimate has not been independently confirmed. The combination of severe burns, disrupted trade and displacement places additional pressure on an area where medical supplies and emergency transport are limited.
Why Abyei matters
Abyei’s political status has remained unresolved since South Sudan became independent in 2011. Both Sudan and South Sudan claim the oil-rich territory. The Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities have longstanding ties to the area, including to its markets and seasonal grazing lands.
Sudan’s wider war between the army and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. Analysts and diplomats cited by Reuters say fuel and other supplies have moved through the disputed region, although competing claims about armed-group presence at the market have not been independently verified. A market’s possible use by armed actors does not remove the obligation to protect civilians under international humanitarian law.
What happens next?
South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry said it summoned Sudan’s ambassador to protest the strike. The immediate priorities are emergency medical treatment, access for aid workers, an independent assessment of the death toll and a credible investigation into who conducted the attack. Zark News will update this report as verified findings become available.
Sources: Reuters, October 20; Associated Press, October 20. Casualty and displacement estimates are attributed to the officials who provided them.
