The ongoing conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces has resulted in the destruction of many businesses, including that of Sudanese merchant Awad Mohamed Ali. Ali owned a perfume and cosmetics shop in the largest market in Sudan, Am Dorman, which has been completely destroyed.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Ali said that the burning of the market was “part of the retaliatory actions of criminal gangs in the capital.” He added, “Since the outbreak of war, I feel the keys to my store every morning, and I do not forget that sinful hands have completely destroyed it.” He also noted that even forcefully closing the doors of shops did not prevent looters from breaking in and stealing their contents before burning them.
In recent weeks, the streets and markets of Khartoum have been devoid of normal life, opening the doors for criminal gangs to attack. After the war machine and its aftermath destroyed the markets, they have now become a remnant of the past.
Passersby in the capital’s markets can quickly see how goods have been looted and everything in them burned, including private and public property. Fires that were set after shops were looted and burned, resembling revenge, destroyed all commercial stores, exhibitions, company offices, and even the carts of wandering vendors.
Those who remain among citizens and merchants witness how the largest market in Sudan, Am Dorman, which was the most commercially active, has turned into ruins covered in black. The goods in its various corners were charred, and smoke emanates from the remnants of some chemical materials such as perfumes, cosmetics, medicines, and other liquids.
Am Dorman market is the largest and the main source of funding for all commercial activities in Sudan, estimated at around one million US dollars per day, and it has been completely destroyed by the fire.
