Juba, Nov. 19, (dpa/GNA) – More than 30 people have been killed and 20 wounded in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan, authorities said on Sunday.
“We have confirmed 31 bodies of dead civilians and one unnamed peacekeeper soldier,” Abyei Information Minister Boulis Kuoch told dpa by phone.
He said that several armed youths had attacked villages in the early hours of Sunday.
He added that 20 people, including children, are being treated for gunshot wounds at a local hospital.
Abyei, which lies on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, is a disputed area that has been claimed by both countries since South Sudan became independent in 2011.
The Abyei Administrative Area is of economic importance because of its rich oil reserves. Disputes occur between different tribes – and particularly warring youth – over these resources.
The United Nations Security Council authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force, known as UNISFA, to the area in June 2011 because of the violence.
According to Kuoch, a Ghanaian UNISFA peacekeeper was killed after trying to stop the “slaughter of civilians.”
UNISFA was not immediately available for comment.
GNA