Death toll from Abyei market drone strike rises to more than 220

The reported death toll from Monday’s drone strike on Amiet Market in the Abyei Administrative Area has risen to more than 220, according to Abyei’s Caretaker Minister of Information, Yohana Akol.

Akol told Eye Radio on Tuesday afternoon that 153 people were buried in one mass grave, while another 73 bodies were buried in a second grave.

He said he visited the market in the morning alongside Abyei’s Chief Administrator and found a dire humanitarian situation.

“The incident has left the area in a dire and tragic humanitarian situation. We found two mass graves. The first, located to the right side of the market, contains approximately 153 victims, while the second contains 73 victims,” Akol said.

He added that another location was reported to have claimed numerous lives after the first explosion struck a tractor-trailer carrying about 26 people.

“There is also another location where a large number of people were reportedly killed after the first boom landed. At the time, there was a tractor-trailer carrying about 26 people,” he said.

Akol said smoke was still rising from the market when they visited the scene on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, local authorities initially reported at least 73 people killed and more than 20 others injured when drones struck the busy Amiet Market, located about 10 kilometres north of Abyei town.

The minister said more than 8,000 people have fled the attack and sought refuge in Abyei town and surrounding areas.

He appealed to humanitarian organisations and United Nations agencies to provide urgent assistance to the displaced, many of whom are sheltering under trees near Amiet Market and in Abyei town.

South Sudan’s government has condemned the attack and summoned Sudan’s ambassador in Juba over the incident.

Abyei officials have blamed the Sudanese Armed Forces for the drone strike. However, the allegation has not been independently verified, and Sudan has not publicly responded to the accusation.