ATTACK IN AREA CLAIMED BY SUDAN, SOUTH SUDAN, LEAVES 32 DEAD
Written by Olakunle Oke on November 20, 2023
A wave of violence has swept through the contested region of Abyei, claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, leaving 32 people dead, including a United Nations peacekeeper. The attacks, carried out by armed militias and soldiers wearing uniforms of South Sudan’s national army, unfolded early Sunday morning in two counties.
Bulis Koch Aguar Ajith, Abyei’s information minister and South Sudan’s spokesman for the region, vehemently condemned the attacks, stating that 32 individuals, including women and children, were burned alive within their homes, with over 20 more sustaining injuries. He further noted that these latest “barbaric attacks on civilians” are an extension of the deadly violence that erupted in the region last week.
South Sudan has called for an immediate investigation into the attacks. Abyei, situated between Sudan and South Sudan, has been a hotspot of tension since the South gained independence in 2011.
