More than 50 individuals, including women, children, and two UN peacekeepers, lost their lives in a series of attacks along the border of South Sudan with Sudan, marking the deadliest incidents since 2021 in connection to a boundary dispute.
According to Bulis Koch, the information minister for Abyei, armed young men from South Sudan’s Warrap State carried out the raids into the neighboring Abyei region on Saturday.
Abyei, an oil-rich area jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, both asserting claims to it, witnessed 52 local casualties, including women, children, and police officers, during the Saturday attacks. An additional 64 individuals sustained injuries, as reported by Koch to Reuters. In response to the dire security situation, a curfew has been imposed.
Tragically, a Ghanaian peacekeeper from the United Nations force based in Abyei lost his life during an attack on its base in the town of Agok. The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) confirmed the incident on Sunday.
Further violence unfolded the following day, resulting in the death of a second peacekeeper from Pakistan. During the incident, four colleagues and a civilian were wounded while transporting civilians from a UNISFA base to a hospital. No additional details were provided.
In the aftermath of the attacks, hundreds of displaced civilians sought refuge at a UNISFA base, according to Koch. William Wol, the information minister of Warrap State, announced that a joint investigation with the Abyei administration would be conducted by the government.
Abyei has experienced recurrent clashes between rival factions of the Dinka ethnic group concerning a dispute over the location of an administrative boundary crucial for cross-border trade tax revenue. Koch revealed that young Dinka men from Warrap and the forces of a rebel leader from the Nuer ethnic group orchestrated the attacks against both Dinkas and Nuers in Abyei.
South Sudan’s history has been marred by ethnic conflicts, with the civil war from 2013 to 2018 causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. Subsequently, ongoing clashes among various armed groups continue to result in casualties and the displacement of civilians. In November, fighting in Abyei claimed the lives of at least 32 people.
