Violent clashes result in multiple fatalities along the Sudan-South Sudan border in the disputed Abyei region

The United Nations has reported that over 50 people, including UN peacekeepers, have been killed in attacks in the disputed region of Abyei, located between South Sudan and Sudan. This incident marks the deadliest clash in a three-year-long series of conflicts in the oil-rich area. On Saturday, two armed groups conducted raids in Abyei, as confirmed by local authorities. The following day, peacekeepers transporting affected civilians to the hospital came under fire. Abyei is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, both of whom claim ownership of the region. The dispute has remained unresolved since South Sudan gained independence in 2011. The recent fighting is reportedly linked to a land conflict between rival factions of the Dinka ethnic group – the Ngok and Twic – from Abyei and South Sudan's Warrap state, respectively. Forty-two people, mostly women and children, were killed in the first day of the attacks. Among the casualties is a Ghanaian peacekeeper. Another attack on Sunday resulted in the death of a Pakistani peacekeeper and injuries to four other personnel and one civilian. According to local authorities, 52 civilians have lost their lives, and 64 others are gravely wounded. The violence is connected to a long-standing conflict between the Ngok and Twic communities. The UK, Norway, and the United States, which supported South Sudan's independence, expressed deep concern over the escalating violence in and around Abyei. The international trio called on leaders with influence over the involved communities to support peace and condemned those who neglect the interests of their people. These deadly attacks follow clashes in November 2020 that claimed the lives of 32 people, including a UN peacekeeper.