The Abyei border region, which is disputed between Sudan and South Sudan, experienced the deadliest incident in a series of attacks since 2021. Local officials reported that 52 people, including women and children, were killed in the region over the weekend. Both Sudan and South Sudan claim the oil-rich area along their shared border.
According to Bulis Koch, the information minister for Abyei, armed youth from South Sudan’s Warrap state carried out raids into neighboring Abyei on Saturday. The attack resulted in the deaths of 52 people and left 64 others wounded. A United Nations peacekeeper was also killed in the violence.
The conflict in Abyei has been fueled by tensions between rival factions of the Dinka ethnic group, with fighting over the location of an administrative boundary that generates significant tax revenues. Dinka youth from Warrap and forces of a rebel leader from the Nuer ethnic group were reported to have carried out the recent attacks.
As a result of the security situation, a curfew has been imposed in the region, and hundreds of civilians are seeking shelter at a UNISFA base. South Sudan has pledged to coordinate a joint investigation with the Abyei administration to look into the deadly incident.
The Abyei region’s ownership status has been unresolved since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Disagreement over who could vote in a proposed referendum for the oil-rich territory has further complicated the situation. The ongoing conflict in the area has resulted in the deaths and displacement of thousands of civilians, with clashes between armed groups continuing to pose a threat to the region.