Traders have closed down their shops in protest against rising night burglaries at the Mingkaman market in Awerial County, Lakes State.
The development comes after nine shops were broken into in the course of two weeks, with the latest burglary recorded on Monday.
In addition, the local government had promised to provide night security at the market, in vain, though they were contributing 100SSP each.
“We closed the shops to get attention from the government because this is so alarming and we need the government to do something about it,” said Habass Bilbanat, secretary for traders’ union there.
Another shop owner, Biol Jool Areech, says she just lost 70 Kgs of maize flour, 20 liters of oil, and four tins of juice powder worth 138,000 South Sudanese pounds.
“The government had promised to provide security and compensation for our goods and now the number of shops that have been broken reached nine but no compensation was done,” Ms Jool told Mingkaman FM on Tuesday.
When contacted by Mingkaman 100 FM, Town Clerk Abraham Deng Chuei instead blamed the traders for closing down the shops.
“Responsibility begins with the investigation of the break-in by registering the cases and inquiry from the traders and investigating the security personnel who were on duty. But now they have responded with the closure of the market. Do you think it is the right decision?”