Fierce fighting in an area claimed by Sudan and South Sudan has killed at least 32 people, including a UN peacekeeper
NAIROBI, Kenya — Fierce fighting Sunday in disputed territory claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan killed at least 32 people, including a UN peacekeeper, authorities said.
The civilians and a Ghanaian soldier serving in a peacekeeping force were killed when unknown gunmen attacked two villages in the southern part of the Abyei administrative region, local media reported.
A South Sudanese radio station, Eye Radio Juba, quoted Abyei’s Minister of Information, Bolis Kuoch, as saying that 32 people had been killed and another 20 wounded, “but the fighting has now stopped and the situation has calmed down”.
Inter-communal and cross-border clashes have escalated since South Sudan deployed troops to the disputed region in March. The peacekeeping mission there condemned the troop deployment, saying it would cause “untold suffering and humanitarian concerns” for civilians.
International troops were sent to Aleel and Rum Ameer counties as part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei to help quell the growing conflict.
The Security Council last week voted unanimously to renew UNIFSA’s mandate until November 15, 2024.
Earlier this month, the UN special envoy for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh warned that the “unprecedented” seven-month war between the Sudanese army and a rival paramilitary force is closing in on South Sudan and the Abyei region.
The UN says more than 9,000 people have been killed since the conflict erupted in mid-April, displacing millions in Sudan and neighboring countries.
Sudan and South Sudan have been at loggerheads over control of the oil-rich Abyei region since South Sudan gained independence from Sudan following a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between its north and south. Sudan.
The agreement called for both sides to settle Abyei’s final status through negotiations, but it was never implemented.