Deadliest Attack in Years in Disputed Abyei Region Leaves 52 Dead, 64 Wounded

Violence linked to ongoing land dispute between Sudan and South Sudan escalates, causing hundreds of civilians to seek shelter at UN base.

Over the weekend, a violent attack in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan resulted in the death of 52 people, including a UN peacekeeper, and left 64 others wounded.
The attack is believed to be linked to a land dispute and was reportedly carried out by armed youth from South Sudan's Warrap state and forces of a rebel leader from the Nuer ethnic group.
The Abyei region, rich in oil, is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan and its ownership status has remained unresolved since South Sudan's independence in 2011.
Following the attack, hundreds of displaced civilians have sought shelter at a UN base in the region.
The violence in Abyei is the deadliest in a series of attacks related to the boundary dispute that have been occurring since 2021.