167 killed, scores injured in attack north of Abyei in disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan

At least 167 people were killed, 68 injured, and 10 reported missing after an armed attack by an unidentified group on Abiemnom, about 40 kilometres north of the town of Abyei in the homonymous disputed area between Sudan and South Sudan, on Sunday.

Kol Beth Amal, youth representative for Abiemnom in the Ruweng Administrative Area of South Sudan, told Radio Dabanga that gunmen armed with machine guns and heavy weapons attacked from four directions at around 04:30.

He said 156 people were killed at the scene, including women and children, while a further 12 later died of their injuries — seven at Ajak Hospital and five at Abyei Hospital.

Amal said 10 people remain unaccounted for and that homes and property were extensively burned. 68 people were injured, including a number in a serious condition receiving treatment in local hospitals.

Civilians killed outside UN base

He alleged that several civilians were shot dead outside the headquarters of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) after peacekeepers refused to intervene or allow those fleeing the attack to enter the compound. Radio Dabanga said it had been unable to obtain immediate comment from the mission.

Political motive alleged

Amal accused opposition forces loyal to Riek Machar of carrying out the assault, describing it as politically motivated and aimed at destabilising the region and displacing residents. He said the weapons used were not available to local youth groups.

He referred to a similar attack in April last year in which 54 people were killed and more than 30 injured. Sunday’s violence followed the killing of two people whose bodies were found in remote areas about two weeks ago, and a separate incident in which five Abiemnom residents were killed.

According to Amal, a request by regional authorities to form a joint fact-finding committee was rejected by the commissioner of Mayom County, exacerbating tensions ahead of the latest attack.

Limited reinforcements, widespread displacement

Amal said security reinforcements had arrived but described them as “limited”. Large numbers of residents have fled to neighbouring areas, while others remain without shelter in what he described as critical humanitarian conditions amid continuing insecurity.

He called on the authorities to deploy sufficient forces to separate the rival sides and urged humanitarian organisations to provide urgent assistance and medical care.

Casualties treated in Abyei

The governor of the Abyei Special Administrative Area, Judge Charles Dengor, said local hospitals had received 80 wounded people, including women, children and elderly residents. Seven later died of their injuries, while more than 37 remain under treatment. The number is expected to rise as more casualties arrive.

Hundreds of displaced families have also sought refuge in villages across Abyei under difficult humanitarian conditions.

Dengor made the remarks during a field visit with ministers responsible for health, information, local government and law enforcement, as well as representatives of civil society and the Women’s Union. The delegation assessed the condition of the injured and the needs of health facilities.

He praised medical staff working in co-ordination with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), led by deputy head of mission Amiri Imran, and said the authorities were doing all they could to save lives and alleviate suffering.

Dengor condemned the attack as a “serious massacre” and called for the protection of civilians, accountability for those responsible, and strengthened humanitarian and security measures to prevent further violence.

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Abyei

Since the secession of South Sudan from Sudan in 2011, both countries claim the border area of Abyei. The oil-rich region is inhabited primarily by members of the South Sudanese Dinka Ngok clan. It is also the seasonal home of the Sudanese Arab Misseriya herder tribe.

The Abyei status referendum, in which the residents of the region would decide either to remain part of Sudan or become part of South Sudan, was planned to be held simultaneously to the South Sudanese independence referendum in January 2011, but was postponed indefinitely because of disagreements over the process.

The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (Unisfa) was established by the UN Security Council in June 2011 to monitor and verify the redeployment of armed forces from Abyei. Unisfa also has a mandate to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, to protect the area from incursions by unauthorised elements, and ensure security.