At least 26 people were killed and 82 others injured in clashes between members of the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities in Sudan’s disputed Abyei region, the United Nations said on Thursday.
The violence erupted at the Amiet Common Market in Abyei after the separate killings of two men from the rival communities earlier in the week, according to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, or UNISFA.
The initial killings, which took place on Monday and Tuesday, sharply increased tensions around the market before fighting broke out between members of the two communities.
UNISFA said it reinforced its security presence in and around the market and deployed additional personnel in an effort to contain the violence and prevent further escalation.
The Amiet Common Market is a major commercial hub serving communities in and around Abyei and is also known locally as Souq Al Naam.
The Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities have a long history of tension in the region, with previous deadly clashes linked to disputes over grazing routes, water access and livestock movements.
Abyei, an oil-producing territory along the Sudan-South Sudan border, remains contested by both countries following South Sudan’s independence from Sudan in 2011.
The territory is administered under temporary arrangements, while UNISFA has maintained a peacekeeping presence there since 2011.
South Sudan has experienced relative stability since a 2018 peace agreement ended a five-year civil conflict, although localised and communal violence remains common in several parts of the country.
