Nairobi, October 20 — At least 73 people were killed when drones struck a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border of South Sudan and Sudan, the caretaker information minister for the jointly administered region said on Tuesday, accusing Sudan's army of carrying out the attack. "Around 73 people have been killed and 19 have been wounded," Yohana Akol Ngor, the caretaker minister of information of the Abyei region, told Reuters on Tuesday, speaking about Monday's attack. Reuters noted that the minister did not provide evidence for his claim of who was responsible.

Abyei is an oil-rich area that is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, which have both staked claims to it. It experiences frequent bouts of violence, with clashes usually involving rival ethnic groups or armed militias, Reuters reported. Last year, at least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed and eight wounded in a drone attack by separatist armed groups on a UN base in Abyei, Bangladesh's armed forces said.

South Sudan's foreign ministry said in a statement late Monday that drones struck a market located north of Abyei town, but did not specify the number of civilian casualties resulting from the attack. The ministry said it had summoned the Sudanese ambassador to convey the government's "strong protest and deep concern regarding the attack and its implications for the security of civilians and the stability of the Abyei Area."

The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said in a statement that it was treating more than 20 wounded people at the nearby Ameth Bek Hospital. "So far we received over 20 patients, including several critical cases. Patients with burns were also admitted. We are providing surgical services and wound dressing, along with other emergency care," said Christian Lindauer, MSF medical activities manager at Ameth Bek Hospital. The casualty figure of 73 comes from the Abyei minister's account to Reuters and has not been independently confirmed; the Sudanese army had not responded in the reporting reviewed.

Sources: Reuters reporting (Nairobi, October 20) — Yohana Akol Ngor, caretaker information minister of Abyei; South Sudan foreign ministry statement; MSF statement (Christian Lindauer, Ameth Bek Hospital).