South Sudan's Juba town council demolishes shops in Customs Market in a controversial move

May 2, 2008 (Juba NSV) - Property worth millions of Sudanese Pounds was destroyed Thursday when Juba town council demolished Customs Market in Juba.

Business came to a stand still as the police and the powerful bulldozer reduced kiosks, cluster of shops, lodges, and hotels to rumble in Juba Customs market. Shop owners struggled under the baking heat of Juba to salvage any of their belongings in shortest time possible dodging the police and the Merciless Bulldozers.

Some traders in the Market said they were not informed of the planned demolition by the Juba town council. Others are said to have heard of the demolition but were reluctant to leave till the last minute due to booming business in the area.

Mr. Aleer Deng, owner of the Freedom Hotel in Customs was taken aback when he returned from the office of the town council, only to find his hotel had been reduced to rumble. He said they had been summoned by the town council the following day regarding the issue. Aleer said that the hotels and lodges in Customs would be accorded special consideration and would not be targeted during demolition.

He said two of his workers had been arrested following a row with the police during the forcible demolition. “Two of [my]staffs have been beaten for no reason and some of them are now in the police [station],” Aleer Deng Said. A lady who talked to NSV had wound on her head and confirmed that she was beaten by the police on his way to the hotel which she later found reduced to rumble.

Mr. Aleer Deng claimed that he had lost close to 10,000 Sudanese pound to looters during the commotion. “I use to have income of 5000 Sudanese pounds every day but today I got nothing,"he said. Aleer estimated his lose at 2 million pounds following demolition of his hotel. A Ugandan lady is also said to have lost 3000 Sudanese pound ($1500) to looters.

Mr. Deng Maketh, co-owner of Trinity Lodge located at Custom Market said they had not been informed of the planned demolition by the town council authorities. He said they were summoned this morning and told to register to acquire land and relocate their business to the new site that will be allocated to them as soon as possible. He was shocked to find, soon after his return, that his lodge was no more.

Mr. Maketh said his business was registered and that he could not understand why it was being targeted when other lodges were still standing untouched. He said the lodge contained about 24Tukuls--with each room being rented for $20 a day. He estimated his lose at $ 68,000--costs of construction and other items which were destroyed and looted during demolition included.

The demolition of the market has created displacement of the people. “I don’t know where am going to sleep today with my people. We just came in here last year when peace accord was signed," said Aleer. The Market was a residential area to most traders who ran their business and lived there.

In Custom, Ugandan, Kenyan, and Sudanese business community co-existed. The traders have been ordered to relocate to a new site.

The town council authorities could not be reached for comments regarding the demolition.