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It’s business as usual on the streets of Juba

Friday March 27 2015
EAjubaTuktukups

A commercial area in Juba. Fourteen months after civil strife began in South Sudan in December 15, 2013, its capital Juba is slowly getting back on its feet. PHOTO | MORGAN MBABAZI |

Fourteen months after civil strife began in South Sudan in December 15, 2013, its capital Juba is slowly getting back on its feet.

The apprehension that gripped visitors while in Juba is fading, although there remains lingering memories of how quickly the conflict spilled into the capital.

The popular Konyo Konyo business district in the southeastern section of the city is now buzzing with activity as local traders and those from neighbouring countries like Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan continue with their businesses.

The military patrols of the streets by the UN troops that characterised the first six months of the conflict, are no longer there. The inter-ethnic tension between the Dinka and the Nuer has also lowered significantly.

As a result, most of the people who escaped to the two UN camps in Thing Ping and Jebel Kujur (Mount Kujur), have since returned after the government assured them of their security. They also realised that the conflict is a power struggle between the elite and has nothing to do with inter-ethnic relations.

Most of the traders from the neighbouring countries who had set up here have returned in large numbers. Foreign carriers flying the Juba route such as Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, EgyptAir and RwandaAir have resumed their normal flight schedules.

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Construction of new houses and office buildings is also going on, but demand has slowed as new investors monitor the situation and remain hesitant about committing to the South Sudan market.

The only emerging security threat is the new breed of criminals on bikes. Youth on motorcycles are robbing people; most of their victims are women who have their handbags snatched. Several victims have suffered serious injuries and even death. 

This type of crime is a result of economic difficulties brought about by the war and the increasing youth unemployment rates. Since the war broke out, food prices have also gone up by 10 per cent.

The exchange rate is volatile and the South Sudanese Pound has been receiving a battering from the dollar. Reduced earnings from oil exports due to falling global oil prices and the ongoing conflict, which affected some key oil fields, has seen the country suffer a serious shortage of dollars.

As result, the Central Bank has set new conditions for forex bureaus, such that they can now only sell dollars to companies or individuals who have documentary proof showing they require medical treatment abroad; need to pay school fees or require cash for foreign travel; or have family living abroad in need of financial support.

When I visited Juba in October last year, tensions were high because the two warring parties had just missed the deadline set by the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) to form a transitional government or face sanctions from countries within the region.

But the focus has now shifted to peace talks in Addis Ababa and the capacity of the ruling Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement to return the country to peace.

Many residents in Juba do not trust the Igad process because of the many agreements that have been signed since January 2014 but are violated within 24 hours.

However, most residents are happy that the conflict, which started in their city, has largely spared them the agony experienced in war zones in Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei states.

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