It is like Adut Kiir is shooting a movie, but it is another fire. Another market turned into ashes. Another night during which thousands of ordinary South Sudanese cried while their livelihoods disappeared in front of their eyes. And once again, as always, the corrupt system that governs this country stands exposed—naked, incompetent, and utterly indifferent.
Let us be honest, the fire that swallowed Custom Market was not an accident. It was a direct outcome of a corrupt regime that has mutilated this country’s institutions for 20 years.
When corruption becomes a national disaster
Corruption in South Sudan is not just about money stolen; it is about lives destroyed. Every single penny embezzled by government officials is a school not built, a fire truck not purchased, a health center not equipped, a drainage system not improved, or a market not properly planned.
In a functioning state, markets do not burn like firewood. In a functioning state, emergency services arrive immediately—because the government has invested in them. But in South Sudan, leaders loot and then pretend to be surprised when the consequences emerge.
A penny stolen today becomes a tragedy tomorrow. A million dollars stolen becomes a national collapse. And billions stolen—well, that is what South Sudan is living through right now.
A government that buys bullets instead of fire trucks
For years, the regime has invested only in one thing: violence. Guns, bullets, tanks, gunships, and militias.
Ask yourselves:
1. How many fire trucks does Juba have?
2. How many modern markets with fire hydrants exist in the capital city?
3. How many trained emergency responders does the government recruit each year?
While they boast about their “strength,” the truth is embarrassing.
Those who used to threaten civilians with live bullets now stand helpless in front of a simple market fire. The fire exposed their stupidity more than any political speech ever could. You told the people you didn’t need water cannons. Now look—your live bullets cannot put out a fire. Your guns are useless when the crisis is not political but logistical. And your regime is useless without violence, because you have never invested in anything else.
Countries are not sustained by force alone
A modern nation survives on:
Urban planning
Firefighting services
Water systems and hydrants
Health services
Well-built markets
Environmental safety measures
Infrastructure
However, Kiir’s regime knows none of that. They only know how to shoot, threaten, loot, and cling to power. We have a government that does not govern. A leadership that does not lead. And a system that does not serve.
Fellow Jinubin, if you still believe this regime will one day deliver the South Sudan you dream of, you may wait until eternity. Nothing will come. Nothing! Stop waiting, start acting! Our country is collapsing not because the people are weak, but because the people have been made or chosen to be passive. We have cried enough. We have complained enough. We have waited enough. But remember, tears don’t rebuild the destroyed livelihood. Tears won’t feed a family that lost its shop. Tears cannot revive a burnt future.
Tears cannot solve a problem. What was needed last [Monday] night was prevention, not mourning. What was needed was infrastructure, not condolences. And what is needed now is civic courage:
Organize
Hold leaders accountable,
Demand transparency,
Mobilize communities,
Build local systems where the government has failed,
Use legal, collective pressure,
Resist corruption in your daily lives,
Support leaders who can actually lead.
The solution is you, not the regime!
This regime has shown you who they are. They cannot deliver. They will not deliver. They do not know how to deliver. So, stop expecting miracles from those who have no capacity. The future of South Sudan will not come from J1 [State House]. It will come from the people—organized, awakened, and united. The fire at Custom Market is not an isolated incident. It is a result of Corruption. A reminder. A call.
South Sudan will change only when its citizens decide that enough is enough—and take constructive, collective, lawful action toward the country they deserve.
The writer is a South Sudanese activist, former political prisoner, co-founder, and current chair of the 7 October Movement. He can be reached via diingmouaguer@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.