The UN Peacekeeping Chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the Security Council that the October 19 attacks were the first of their kind in Abyei.
The strikes injured about 59 people, caused major fires and displaced dozens of civilians. Peacekeepers are investigating whether the recorded death toll underestimated the number killed.
The attacks followed clashes around Amiet Common Market on September 15 involving members of the Ngok Dinka, Misseriya and Nuba communities.
At least 124 people were killed and another 40 injured.
Lacroix said threats to Abyei were “evolving, extending beyond traditional intercommunal dynamics and increasingly influenced by wider political and economic regional conflicts”.
Amiet has become Abyei’s main economic centre and a transit point for more than 49 000 refugees and returnees fleeing Sudan’s war.
The concentration of people and trade was creating opportunities for armed groups and criminal networks, Lacroix warned.
Despite the violence, recorded security incidents declined by about 32% compared with the same period in 2025. The latest seasonal cattle migration also concluded without a related death.
Sudan and South Sudan resumed formal talks through the Joint Political and Security Mechanism in August for the first time since January 2023. Another meeting is scheduled in Khartoum from November 8 to November 10.
However, the reported appointment of a Rapid Support Forces representative to the Abyei Joint Oversight Committee risks creating competing claims of authority.
Lacroix said conditions did not exist for major changes to the UN Interim Security Force (UNISFA) for Abyei.
“UNISFA needs the Council’s support now more than ever,” Lacroix said, calling for stronger protection against aerial attacks.
Across Sudan, drone strikes are also damaging power stations, fuel facilities, homes and water infrastructure.
The UN Children’s Fund has delivered malaria treatment sufficient for 800 000 people to 765 health facilities across Darfur and West Kordofan.
However, Sudan’s $2.9 billion humanitarian appeal remains less than 50% funded.
At the Wunthou border crossing, about 100 000 people could lose healthcare if the only clinic closes in December because of funding shortages.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
