(JUBA CITY) – Business activity in Nyakuron Customs market has come to a halt after a major fire destroyed goods and cash worth several million South Sudanese pounds (SSP) on Monday evening. Authorities from Juba City Council and the Central Equatoria State government have now formed an investigation committee to establish the cause of the blaze, raising new questions about market safety and the impact of repeated fires on traders and the wider economy.
The fire broke out at about 6:00 in the evening and continued until around 10:00, spreading quickly through the iron sheet market area. Traders said they were unable to save their goods due to the speed and intensity of the flames. Although official figures have not yet been released, several shop owners reported losing goods and cash valued in the millions of SSP.
Peter, a trader whose stall was destroyed, said the timing of the incident was especially difficult as he had stocked up for the Christmas season.
“The fire started around 6:00 PM up to 10:00 PM,” he said. “I and other traders lost everything in our shops. I lost my fully stocked Christmas goods and millions of South Sudanese, and my business is brought to zero by this fire outbreak.”
Other traders expressed concern that repeated fires in Juba’s major markets are affecting small scale businesses and raising operational risks. Deng Laurence, another trader, said the lack of fire fighting services has been a long standing complaint.
“This market has been burning from time to time and the city council has been collecting taxes from the traders without deploying fire fighters to prevent the fire from consuming the whole market,” he said. “It is shameful and painful that the city council does nothing towards the protection of traders and markets in Juba City.”
Juba City Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani visited the market on Tuesday morning. He said he was saddened by the losses and confirmed that a committee has been set up to investigate the incident.
“We have come here to register our solidarity and assess the impact of the fire outbreak,” he said. “As government, we formed a committee to investigate the incident, and we also came here to witness the impact because we want to prevent incidents from occurring in the future.”
Mayor Wani said the city plans to reorganise markets to improve safety and reduce risks that threaten business continuity. He encouraged traders to remain calm as authorities explore ways to strengthen fire prevention measures.
Central Equatoria State Governor Emmanuel Adil also inspected the damage and met with traders and security agencies.
“We came here and finished meeting with relevant stakeholders including traders and the security organs, and a committee has been formed to investigate the cause,” he said. “We stand in solidarity with the traders who lost their goods and cash in this incident.”
He said the assessment would support decisions on improving the structure and organisation of markets across Juba.
“We shall take robust plans to improve markets in Juba City, the reorganisation of the market,” he said. “I call on the traders to remain calm and we shall work hard to avoid similar incidents from occurring in the future.”
National Minister of Trade Atong Kuol Manyang Juuk also expressed concern about the economic impact of the fire.
“We came here to assess and witness the impact caused by the fire outbreak,” she said. “As a ministry and government we express our sympathy and solidarity with the traders and we also need to ensure that these incidents should not repeat themselves in the future.”
She said the ministry would work with the state government to attract investors to build permanent and safer market structures, describing this as essential for protecting business investments and strengthening Juba’s commercial environment.
“We need to look for longer term solutions to avoid future losses,” she said. “We need to ensure that there are permanent structures built and call on the relevant government institutions and investors to come and construct permanent market structures.”
Traders in Nyakuron say the fire has not only destroyed goods but also disrupted supply chains, affected seasonal sales and weakened their ability to reinvest. Many have called for reforms in market planning, safety infrastructure and financial support to help small enterprises recover and reduce future risks.
Calls Grow for Market Safety Plan After Nyakuron Fire
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Nyakuron Customs Market, Juba City |
| Time of fire | 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM |
| Estimated losses | Several hundreds of millions of SSP Projected |
| Key concerns for traders | Repeated fires, lack of fire fighting services, weak market infrastructure |
| Government action | Investigation committee formed; pledges for market reorganisation |
| National Ministry position | Support for permanent structures and investor engagement |
| Economic impact | Disrupted trade, lost capital, reduced seasonal sales, weakened small business stability |
