At least 26 killed in South Sudan tribal clashes

At least 26 people have been killed and 82 others injured in Abyei town on the border between South Sudan and Sudan after clashes between two rival tribes, the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday.



Abyei is an oil-rich area that is jointly administered by South Sudan and Sudan, which have both staked claims to it following South Sudan's independence in 2011.



The clashes took place at the Amiet Common Market in Abyei town and involved members of Ngok Dinka and Misseriya tribes and were sparked by the initial killing of two men from both tribes on Monday and Tuesday.



The initial killings of the two men escalated tensions between the two communities around the market, a key economic hub in the area, the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei said in the statement.