50 people killed in Abyei attack in Sudan

Agencies - Moatinoon
The Associated Press reported that more than 50 people, including United Nations peacekeepers, were killed in an attack on the disputed Abyei Area on the Sudan-South Sudan border.

"Armed men attacked the Abyei area, killing 52 people, including a United Nations peacekeeper, and wounding 64 others," the agency explained, citing a local official.

According to the agency, "the attackers were young people from a local tribe from the neighbouring Warrap area", noting that "members of this tribe have long been in conflict on land in Abyei with another tribe".

The agency added that the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) had confirmed the "death of a Ghanaian peacekeeper and said it had repelled the attack".

It will be recalled that Abyei is a disputed area between the Sudan and South Sudan, and the United Nations Security Council established the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), monitoring tensions along the north-south border and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and protecting civilians and relief workers in Abyei.