Abyei, 03 October 2023 - The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) strongly condemns the incident of sporadic gun fire leading to death and injury of innocent civilians at the New Abyei Market.

On 29 September 2023, at about 1920 hours, sporadic gun fire was heard inside the Abyei New Market which led to the death of 11 persons with 16 people injured. The reason for the gun fire fight inside the market remains a mystery. UNISFA Quick Reaction Force was deployed to the area of the shooting to contain the situation.

The UNISFA leadership condemn in totality the reasons for the incident and its devastating effect on the security and safety of civilians within Abyei and offers its condolences to the families of the bereaved. A Fact-Finding Committee has been convened by UNISFA to investigate the incident with a view to identify the root cause of the incident and make recommendations.

UNISFA calls on the youth to exercise restraints as efforts are being made in collaboration with Abyei Area Administration and the traditional leadership to restore normalcy. The mission implores all to desist from the spread of misinformation and disinformation to avoid further escalation of tensions.