A drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region on Monday killed more than 150 people, according to local officials, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Sudan’s ongoing civil war. The strike, which hit the busy market far from the front lines, sparked fires that continued to burn into Tuesday, leaving parts of the market destroyed and vehicles damaged.
Yohana Akol Ngor, Abyei’s caretaker minister of information, said the death toll had reached 153 and was expected to rise. Local authorities and South Sudan’s government, which jointly administer the oil-rich Abyei area, attributed the attack to Sudan’s military. South Sudan condemned the strike and summoned Sudan’s ambassador to the capital, Juba. The Sudanese Armed Forces (S.A.F.) have not publicly commented on the incident.
However, three diplomatic sources, an aid worker, and a conflict expert provided a different perspective, suggesting the drone strike targeted a fuel depot within the market that had been reportedly used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.) to supply their forces. These sources noted that the area had ties to the R.S.F., though the paramilitary group did not respond to requests for comment.
The drone attack is part of a broader pattern of increased drone use in the conflict, which erupted in April 2023 between the S.A.F. and the R.S.F., a powerful paramilitary faction. The war has caused a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing around 14 million people — more than a quarter of Sudan’s population. Civilian death toll estimates vary widely, with the health ministry reporting over 11,000 deaths while some experts estimate figures as high as 400,000.
Experts note that drones have become a dominant weapon in the war, allowing both factions to strike targets, often with disregard for civilian safety. The R.S.F. has demonstrated the capacity to launch long-range drone attacks, as seen in a series of strikes on Port Sudan in May 2025 that hit both the airport and a hospital. Both sides have reportedly sourced drones from international suppliers, with the R.S.F. acquiring them via the United Arab Emirates from China, while the S.A.F. has accessed Iranian and Turkish drones.
The United Nations has expressed grave concern over the escalation of drone attacks across Sudan. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strikes, highlighting recent attacks in Khartoum that killed children, as well as assaults in South Darfur and White Nile states. The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) had previously warned that the presence of armed groups in Abyei increased insecurity in the region and placed civilians and peacekeepers at risk.
The conflict has largely settled into a de facto partition of Sudan, with the R.S.F. controlling Darfur in the west, the S.A.F. holding the capital Khartoum and eastern regions, and contested control remaining in parts of Kordofan and Blue Nile states. Despite this partial stalemate, drone strikes and air attacks continue to threaten civilians throughout the country, reflecting the war’s persistence and its devastating humanitarian impact.