Seven people including a U.N. peacekeeper and six civilians have been killed by unknown gunmen.
They were killed in the disputed region of Abyei on the border between Sudan and South Sudan.
Reuters quotes the regional governor, Kuol Alor Jok as saying “Yesterday (Tuesday), unknown gunmen attacked the market of Amiet, North of Abyei.”
Alor Jok who spoke about the killings on Wednesday said one of the civilians killed was a child.
According to the United Nations the peacekeepers were conducting a routine patrol but came under attack by unknown assailants.
Sudan and South Sudan continue to claim ownership of the area which is rich in oil.
There has been an increase in violence in the area as some within the region desire to join South Sudan while others want to remain part of the north.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, but the status of Abyei is yet to be settled.
The United Nations has a peacekeeping mission, the Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), in the area since 2011.
Source: Africafeeds.com
