Thirty-two people, including a peacekeeper, have been killed, and 20 others injured in the Sunday attack in Abyei Administrative Area, an official has confirmed.
On Sunday morning, armed youth from Twic County in Warrap State reportedly launched coordinated attacks on Athony and Ayuok villages in Abyei.
In a press statement, Bol Koch – area minister of information – says children and women were among the deceased.
“In all this attacks 32 people were killed, including women and children burnt [to death] into their huts and more than twenty (20) people wounded,” reads the statement, adding that the injured are receiving treatment at a hospital in Abyei town.
On Sunday, the chief of the Abyei Administrative Area said Mayot Kunit, former county commissioner and minister, was among the victims.
In February 2022, the dispute between the two communities over the ownership of Aneet area led to deadly clashes.
Since then, armed youth from the two communities have been attacking each other.
This occurs despite conduct of several peace dialogues and a recommendation suggesting application of facts based on the 1956 Bahr el Ghazal-South Kordofan border.
The death toll of the intercommunal conflict, which some traditional leaders blame on politicians, is about 200.