UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the violence that occurred in the disputed Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan, which resulted in the deaths of 54 people, including two members of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
"The Secretary-General condemns the violence and attacks against UNISFA and calls on the Governments of South Sudan and Sudan to swiftly investigate the attacks, with the assistance of UNISFA, and bring the perpetrators to justice," the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric said.
He explained that "The Secretary-General reminds all parties that attacks on United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes."
UNISFA announced earlier that the renewed conflict in the region had resulted in the killing of 52 civilians, in addition to two members of its forces, while 64 people were gravely wounded.
Abyei region, located on the border between Sudan and South Sudan, is a disputed area claimed by both countries since the independence of South Sudan in 2011.
The administrative territory of Abyei is economically important due to its abundant oil reserves, and disputes occur between different tribes, especially warring youth, over these resources, and the UN Security Council (UNSC) deployed a peacekeeping force, known as UNISFA, to the region in June 2011 due to violence.
