Clashes in disputed Abyei region claim 54 lives

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A truck piled high with looted items as it drives past businesses and homesteads burning in the center of the disputed border town of Abyei on May 28, 2011. PHOTO | AFP

Fighting between rival communities in a disputed region claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan has killed 54 people, including two UN peacekeepers, the United Nations said on Monday, calling for calm.

The clashes in Abyei, a contested oil-rich territory straddling the border of both countries, broke out at the weekend, according to local authorities.