Fire engulfs South Sudan’s ruling party headquarters

Officials said a fire broke out at the headquarters of South Sudan’s ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), destroying documents including the party’s constitution.

The fire spread to the National Secretariat offices, reducing files to ash before firefighters could extinguish it.

Thick black smoke billowed over the government district in Juba as emergency crews responded.

SPLM Deputy Secretary General Jimmy Atilio told reporters that a committee would be formed to investigate the cause of the fire, adding that several offices, including the conference hall, were damaged.

Senior party officials, including Secretary General James Wani Igga and Deputy Secretaries Kong Danhere Gatluak and Mary Abayi Igga, visited the site of the fire.

The cause of the fire remains unclear.