At least five people have been killed and one injured following a violent attack on a village in the disputed Abyei region, local authorities have confirmed on Sunday, April 12. Officials say armed men suspected to be from Sudan’s Misseriya community launched a night-time assault on Maker Abioor village in Alal County on Friday, targeting civilians engaged in routine livelihood activities.
The victims—reportedly including women, children and elderly people—were said to be burning charcoal and cutting wood when the assailants struck. One survivor is currently receiving treatment at Abyei Hospital.
Abyei’s Information Minister, Yohana Akol Ngor, condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on innocent civilians. “What happened on Friday night, Misseriya militia from Sudan attacked civilians at Maker Abioor village in Alal County. Five innocent lives were lost and one person was wounded”, he said.
The Alal County Commissioner, Nyang Adoldol, corroborated the incident, characterizing it as a cattle raid carried out by armed men who fled shortly after the assault, reportedly retreating towards Sudan. Local youth forces are said to have mounted resistance, eventually repelling the attackers.
The violence underscores the enduring fragility of the oil-rich Abyei region, which remains a contested territory between Sudan and South Sudan. The area has long been a flashpoint for clashes between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities, often driven by disputes over land and grazing rights.
Efforts to resolve Abyei’s status have stalled over the years, with a unilateral referendum previously held in the region failing to gain recognition from either country. No immediate response was available from Misseriya community leaders at the time of filing this report.