Prices of food items have risen in Aniet and other markets in Abyei Administrative Area this week after fire burnt Amiet market on Monday.
A 50-kg-bag of sugar has risen to 31,000 SSP from 25,000 SSP while a 50-kg-bag of maize flour went up to 26,000 SSP from 22,000 SSP. A 20-liter-jerry can of cooking selling at 26,000 SSP instead of 17,000 SSP and a price of per sack of onions increased to 21,000 SSP from 15,000 SSP.
Established in 2016 through the efforts of joint peace committees to bolster peace process between Miseriya and Ngok Dinka, Amiet market became the main source of supplies to other local markets.
Speaking to Abyei FM on Friday, one of the traders, Moyak Marieu says there is already scarcity of goods in Amiet market which he blamed for the skyrocketing prices.
“We went to Amiet yesterday and found the prices were very expensive. I asked citizens to be patient,” said Marieu claiming that traders in Amiet considered increasing prices to cover for their losses.
Moyak is expecting a continuing price hike as the damage caused by the fire is huge. Customers say they cannot cope up with this price increase.
On Monday noon, Amiet market caught fire, destroying more than 500 shops. The cause of the fire remains unclear, but authorities are investigating it.
The Chairman of Chamber of Commerce in Abyei, Chol Deng Chol says an 8-member joint committee has been formed to surveil and reorganize the market.
“We the chamber of commerce are urging the traders to cooperate with the citizens after the market got burnt and the rise of prices. And a committee headed by the commissioner of Ameth-Aguok county to establish the material losses. The committee has Misseriya and Dinka Ngok,” Chol explained, adding traders have contributed 300,000 SSP to support victims of the market fire.