Drone strike in disputed Abyei region kills at least 73 civilians

On October 19, 2026, a drone strike hit a market in the disputed, oil-rich Abyei region along the Sudan-South Sudan border, killing at least 73 people and wounding 19. Caretaker Information Minister Yohana Akol Ngor accused Sudan's army of carrying out the attack, though no evidence was provided. In response, South Sudan summoned Sudan's ambassador to convey a strong diplomatic protest, while Médecins Sans Frontières treated over 20 casualties at Ameth Bek Hospital.

Details of the drone strike

• ▪Caretaker information minister of the Abyei region Yohana Akol Ngor reported that Sudanese armed forces shot down a number of drones during a drone strike on a market in Abyei on October 19, 2026
• ▪On October 19, 2026, drones struck a market located north of Abyei town in the disputed Abyei region along the border of South Sudan and Sudan

Reported casualties

• ▪A medical source cited by The Guardian reported that 80 people died following the October 19, 2026 drone strike on Al-Dibab, and another drone strike on Al-Mujlad injured four people
• ▪Caretaker information minister Yohana Akol Ngor stated that at least 73 people were killed and 19 were wounded in the October 19, 2026 drone strike on a market in the Abyei region

Medical response by Médecins Sans Frontières

• ▪Médecins Sans Frontières received over 20 patients, including critical and burn cases, at Ameth Bek Hospital following the October 19, 2026 drone strike on a market in the Abyei region
• ▪Médecins Sans Frontières medical activities manager Christian Lindauer stated that staff at Ameth Bek Hospital provided surgical services, emergency care, and wound dressing for victims of the October 19, 2026 drone strike on a market in Abyei

Allegations against the Sudanese army

• ▪Abyei caretaker information minister Yohana Akol Ngor publicly accused Sudan's army of carrying out the October 19, 2026 market drone attack
• ▪Caretaker information minister Yohana Akol Ngor provided no supporting evidence when accusing the Sudanese army of the October 19, 2026 drone strike on a market in Abyei

Diplomatic response from South Sudan

• ▪South Sudan's foreign ministry expressed deep concern over the October 19, 2026 drone attack's implications for civilian security and the stability of the Abyei Area
• ▪South Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Sudanese ambassador late on October 19, 2026 to deliver a formal protest regarding the drone strike on a market in Abyei

Context of the regional conflict

• ▪Sudan has been gripped by war since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, drawing in local militias and foreign powers
• ▪The oil-rich Abyei region is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, with both nations maintaining competing territorial claims and experiencing frequent inter-ethnic or militia clashes
• ▪In 2025, a drone attack by separatist armed groups on a United Nations base in Abyei killed at least six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and wounded eight others