Drone Strike on Abyei Market Kills 153 People

A drone strike on Amiet Market in the disputed Abyei Administrative Area killed at least 153 people on Monday, October 19, 2026. The attack hit multiple locations within the market and struck a nearby fuel depot, igniting a fire that burned into Tuesday. Local officials, the Abyei administration, and the government of South Sudan attributed the strike to the Sudanese Armed Forces, though the Sudanese military did not respond to requests for comment.

Yohanna Akol Ngor, the caretaker Information Minister of the Abyei administration, described the event as a "horrible and shocking situation" while confirming the death toll. In response to the attack, the Foreign Ministry of South Sudan summoned the Sudanese ambassador to lodge a formal protest.

On Tuesday, residents and civil society leaders staged a peaceful protest in Abyei. They submitted a petition to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) demanding a full investigation and a report to the UN Security Council. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha, the acting head of the UNISFA mission, accepted the petition, stating that opinions should be expressed peacefully.

Medical teams from Doctors Without Borders and the South Sudanese Health Ministry treated more than 20 wounded patients at Ameth Bek Hospital. The region remains a volatile point of contention between Sudan and South Sudan, with the market serving as a critical trading hub for the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities.