Amiet Market, roughly ten kilometres from Abyei town, is one of the few places where traders and pastoral communities from Sudan and South Sudan regularly meet despite their countries' unresolved territorial dispute. On Monday, October 19, drones reportedly struck the crowded trading centre, killing at least 73 people and injuring 19 others, according to the territory's caretaker administration.
Yohana Akol Ngor, Abyei's caretaker information minister, said the attack began at approximately 11:30 a.m., striking several parts of the market, including an area used for fuel trading. Some victims were reportedly burned beyond recognition, while injured residents were transported to Abyei Hospital. The minister warned that the death toll could rise as recovery operations continued.
Ngor accused the Sudanese Armed Forces of carrying out the strike but did not provide evidence establishing responsibility. The identity of the drone operators has not been independently verified.
The attack prompted an immediate diplomatic response from Juba. South Sudan's foreign ministry summoned Sudanese ambassador Essam Mohamed Karrar on Monday, conveying its protest over the bombing of a civilian trading centre in the disputed territory. The intervention reflects growing concern that Sudan's civil war is threatening communities and commercial routes beyond its established battlefields.
Abyei has remained contested since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. Its planned referendum on whether to join Sudan or South Sudan never took place because the parties could not agree on voter eligibility. The territory is home to the Ngok Dinka community and serves as a seasonal migration area for Misseriya pastoralists, whose movements depend on access to grazing land and water.
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, established in 2011, was tasked with protecting civilians and supporting security arrangements while the territory's final status remained unresolved. The Security Council's latest mandate framework continues to recognise the importance of local reconciliation, demilitarisation and cooperation between the two governments.
Monday's bombing also struck a market already recovering from deadly violence. On September 15, clashes involving the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities left 26 people dead and 82 injured, according to a September 17 statement issued by UNISFA. Peacekeepers subsequently reinforced their presence around the market and worked with community leaders to prevent further retaliation.
The latest attack occurred during a particularly destructive period of Sudan's civil war. Drone strikes have increasingly hit markets, residential areas and essential infrastructure as the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces continue their struggle for territory. The United Nations condemned the broader wave of attacks on October 19, warning that civilians, including children, were being killed while essential services were disrupted.
Amiet's importance extends beyond its immediate surroundings. The market supports trade between communities separated by an unsettled international boundary, including commerce connecting South Sudan with Sudan's western regions. Its destruction threatens livelihoods already strained by insecurity and interrupted transport routes.
For Juba and Khartoum, the immediate diplomatic dispute concerns who launched the drones. For Abyei's residents, the questions are more immediate: whether the market can reopen, whether wounded traders can receive treatment and whether the next trading day can take place without another attack.
