Map of the Abyei region. [Photo courtesy]ABYEI — At least 26 people have been killed and 82 others injured following an attack at the Amiet Common Market in the Abyei Administrative Area, according to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

In a statement issued on Friday, the UNISFA strongly condemned the violence, which occurred on September 15, and called for an immediate end to hostilities between the communities.

“UNISFA strongly condemned violence at the Amiet Common Market on 15 September that killed 26 people and injured 82 others, urging an immediate halt to hostilities,” read part of the statement.

The attack followed separate killings of a Ngok Dinka man on September 14 and a Misseriya man on September 15, incidents that further heightened tensions in the area, according to the UN.

UNISFA said it has reinforced its security presence and deployed additional troops to help de-escalate the situation and prevent further violence.

“UNISFA reinforced its security presence and deployed additional forces to de-escalate the situation. The mission is engaging with local authorities and community leaders to restore calm, calling for a swift investigation and accountability for perpetrators.”

The peacekeeping mission said it is engaging with local authorities and community leaders in an effort to restore calm and prevent further escalation.

UNISFA also called for a swift investigation into the violence and accountability for those responsible for the killings.

The mission said its immediate priority is to prevent further loss of life and protect civilians amid the heightened tensions.

The latest violence adds to longstanding insecurity and intercommunal tensions in the Abyei area, where Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities have experienced recurring clashes and retaliatory attacks.

Abyei is an oil-rich area that is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, which have both staked claims to it.

Sudan and South Sudan have disagreed over control of the Abyei region since a 2005 peace deal ended decades of civil war between Sudan’s north and south.

Both Sudan and South Sudan claim ownership of Abyei, whose status was unresolved after South Sudan became independent from Sudan in 2011.

The U.N. Security Council established UNISFA in June 2011 to respond to “violence, escalating tensions, and population displacement” in Abyei.

UNISFA is tasked with monitoring the contested border area and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.

It is authorized to use force to protect civilians and humanitarian workers in Abyei.