Khartoum: Gunmen shot dead 52 villagers in Abyei, a disputed area claimed by Sudan and South Sudan. A United Nations peace envoy was also among those killed. 64 people were injured. The incident happened on Saturday evening.
Abyei Information Minister informed that the killing was due to a land dispute. Ethnic riots are common in areas with large oil deposits. The Twik Dinka in neighboring Warrap and the Gok Dinka in Abye have been in a long-standing land dispute over the area called Aneet.
Abyei officials said that the Nuer sect from the Warap region were behind yesterday’s attack. Abyei is an autonomous region. Sudan and South Sudan have yet to reach an agreement on the rights to the Abyei region, although a peace agreement was signed in 2005 to end the Sudanese civil war. Therefore, bloody conflicts are common here.