Last week, flames tore through Suuq Bacaad in Mogadishu, annihilating tens of millions of dollars in goods. For those who know the city, the images were painfully familiar. Just two years ago, the same market went up in smoke. In 2017, the story was eerily similar. Each time, traders are left devastated, their livelihoods reduced to ashes.
This latest disaster is not an isolated tragedy. From Suuq Bacaad to Bakaaraha Market—the beating heart of Mogadishu’s economy—fires have struck repeatedly: 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, three times in 2024, and again in 2025, causing losses in the hundreds of millions. Hamar Weyne, another historic market in the capital, has endured similar devastation.
The most catastrophic fires, however, struck Waaheen Market in Hargeisa in 2022 and 2025, with damages exceeding $1.5 billion. Beyond Somalia, markets dominated by Somali traders—Suuq Mugdi in Garissa, Taiwan Market in Jijiga—have also been consumed by fire, adding millions more in losses.
Some see a pattern that hints at something more than bad luck. Conspiracy theories suggest deliberate targeting, given the striking similarities in timing, spread, and circumstances of these fires.
Others point to a far more mundane—but no less deadly—culprit: unsafe markets. Narrow, maze-like alleys trap flames and block emergency vehicles. Electrical wiring is tangled and dangerous. Flammable goods are stored haphazardly, often near open flames. In such conditions, even the smallest spark can trigger disaster.
Stopping the cycle of destruction will require more than donations and condolences. Traders must invest in smoke detectors, alarms, and fire extinguishers, and undergo safety training. Authorities must redesign market layouts for emergency access, strictly enforce fire regulations, and station firefighting units near major markets. Collective insurance schemes could provide timely compensation instead of leaving victims to the mercy of charity.
These markets are more than trade hubs—they are lifelines for thousands of families and critical pillars of the Horn of Africa’s economy. Allowing them to burn repeatedly is not just tragic—it is economically catastrophic.
Negligence or deliberate sabotage, the outcome is the same: unless decisive measures are taken now, the next market fire is not a matter of if—it is a matter of when.
