Emergency Haven for Market Survivors
Charred stalls still line the Nyakuron Market plot, yet hope surfaced in Juba City Hall last Friday.
City Mayor Christopher Sarafino Wani Swaka and University Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Mayom Deng agreed to host the displaced traders in the university’s Custom Market grounds for up to twenty-four months.
Officials Outline Shared Responsibility
“We empathize with their situation,” Mayor Wani Swaka told reporters, stressing municipal duty to restore livelihoods while respecting campus property rights (Eye Radio, 2025).
Professor Deng noted it was the institution’s first public statement on the 1 December blaze, affirming that compassion and legality can coexist.
Economic Shockwaves and Community Resilience
Hundreds of vendors lost inventories worth millions of South Sudanese pounds when flames swept through tightly packed wooden kiosks.
Temporary relocation should revive daily cash flows, cushioning families who depend on informal retail for rent, school fees and food.
Campus Expansion Still on the Horizon
The university plans to enlarge its congested School of Medicine once the interim market closes, a project viewed as vital for national health training.
Administrators insist the two-year window gives traders certainty while allowing architects to finalise designs and mobilisation of funds.