Sudan calls for UN probe into deadly attack on Abyei market

October 24, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The head of Sudan’s Abyei Joint Oversight Committee called on Saturday for the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to investigate a deadly drone attack on the An Nam market.

The Oct. 19 strike on the market, also known as Amiet, killed 80 people and injured 19. Several individuals remain missing, according to the United Nations.

Al-Khair Abu Maridat, the Sudanese committee head, urged an urgent and transparent inquiry to identify the perpetrators, ensure accountability, and prevent them from going unpunished.

He expressed regret over the civilian casualties, emphasizing that protecting civilians is a fundamental responsibility. Abu Maridat said in a press statement that Sudan remains committed to sparing the region’s residents from the risks of armed conflict.

Sudan’s foreign ministry on Friday denied army involvement in the market attack.

The ministry likened the strike to a December 2025 shelling by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on a UNISFA headquarters in Kadugli, South Kordofan, which killed several peacekeepers.

South Sudan’s foreign ministry has accused the Sudanese army of conducting the An Nam attack. Juba summoned the Sudanese ambassador to formally protest the bombing.

Abu Maridat demanded firm action against armed groups and mercenaries operating outside state authority in the Abyei area.

He warned that leniency toward these factions has created a volatile security environment, necessitating serious measures to prevent further incidents and protect civilians.

The RSF and allied militias currently control large sections of the An Nam market, where they levy taxes on trade moving into Darfur and Kordofan.

After Sudan’s wider conflict began in April 2023, the local bazaar became a major commercial hub. It now handles fuel, food, building materials, and medicine, as well as goods flowing from South Sudan.

Abu Maridat reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to international agreements regarding Abyei and to resolutions aimed at maintaining regional stability.

Achieving stability in Abyei requires responsible cooperation, adherence to existing agreements, and joint action to protect civilians from the war’s fallout, he added.

Khartoum and Juba dispute sovereignty over the oil-rich Abyei region.

A self-determination referendum stipulated in a 2005 peace agreement has stalled over disagreements about voting eligibility for the nomadic Misseriya tribe and the Ngok Dinka.