Emotions run high and faces are etched with grief in Bondoukou. In the aftermath of the massive fire that ravaged the main building of the large market on Sunday, July 12, 2026, the focus is on assessing the economic and human disaster. While thankfully no lives were lost, hundreds of merchants saw their life's work go up in smoke.

The disarray of the driving forces of the local economy

In Bondoukou, the market is the beating heart of the city. In the absence of a developed industrial sector, informal trade constitutes the main source of income for households, largely carried out by women. Today, this pillar has collapsed.

1. Ouattara Awa , a shopkeeper affected by the disaster, testifies with a trembling voice:

"This is where we manage to support our husbands and children. Today, everything has burned down, we have nothing left. We didn't have the chance to go to school; this business was our only source of independence. We are asking the government to help us rebuild."

1. Gbané Adja Mariam , a relative of a victim who owned several destroyed shops, emphasizes the seriousness of the situation:

"It's a catastrophe for the whole region. In Bondoukou, it's the women who provide for their families through what they sell. My aunt has lost everything, I'm speechless."

Entire lives reduced to ashes

For many, the disaster represents an immediate financial loss but also a return to square one that is impossible to overcome without outside help.

1. Amadou , whose three clothing and general merchandise stores were reduced to nothing, is relying on solidarity: "God gives and God takes away. But after God, we desperately need support to restart."
2. Kounaté Alima , whose ready-to-wear stock was located on the upper floor of the main building, expressed her distress: "All the time spent building my business has vanished. I don't even know what will become of me."
3. Fatoumata , another market trader, sums up the general state of shock: "We're just here, watching. We don't know what to say. We can't do anything."

Beyond one-off aid: the urgent need for sustainable reconstruction

For Solange Kouablan , a journalist and expert on the region, the impact of this disaster goes far beyond direct material losses. It is the collective memory and social equilibrium of Bondoukou that are threatened.

“It’s not just a market that’s closing; it’s the history of Bondoukou and entire families that risk collapsing. Some traders have taken out loans, others have lost their life savings. We can’t just rely on one-off aid: we need to quickly rethink and rebuild a viable ecosystem to allow them to get back on their feet.”

The first support measures

Faced with the urgency of the situation, local authorities are trying to organize a response:

1. Creation of a crisis committee : Initiated by the mayor of Bondoukou, Ouattara Anzoumana.
2. Census of victims : Operations to identify affected businesses are underway in order to best structure and allocate future aid and support actions.

The appeal for national solidarity and goodwill has now been launched to give hope to these families plunged into total uncertainty.