Prominent businessman Amin Akasha has died in Cairo, Egypt, after a long illness, family sources have confirmed.
Akasha passed away on Saturday morning in the Egyptian capital, surrounded by family members, according to a relative who spoke to Eye Radio.
He had been in and out of hospital in Juba last year for an undisclosed illness before travelling abroad for further treatment.
Amin Akasha was in his late eighties at the time of his death.
He was widely regarded as one of the most prominent business figures in South Sudan, with deep roots in the country dating back to before Sudan’s independence in 1956.
Akasha came from a business family whose presence in the South dates back to 1904, when his father moved to Mongalla, then the capital of Southern Sudan. His father was a trader dealing in agricultural tools, foodstuffs, construction materials, clothing, leather, timber, livestock, and ostrich feathers.
Over the decades, Amin Akasha built a strong business empire in South Sudan, particularly in the hospitality sector.
He reportedly owned several hotels in Juba and was also a key supplier of goods to the Konyo Konyo market, making him a major player in the country’s commercial sector.
Despite his family origins in northern Sudan, Mr. Akasha openly supported South Sudan’s independence. During the 2011 referendum on self-determination, he voted for separation.
When asked by Al Jazeera in 2011 how he voted, he declined to answer, saying: “In any case, I will remain in the South until the end of my life.”
Mr. Akasha said he studied in the South, the North, and Egypt, and married in Alexandria in 1955.
He believed in the unity of the Nile Valley and was among the founders of the National Unionist Party, serving as its representative in Southern Sudan.
He said his life became closely tied to the South after returning from Egypt, where he settled with his family and supported southern causes.
He cited his opposition to the 1983 decision by former Sudanese President Jaafar Mohamed Nimeiri to abrogate the 1972 Addis Ababa Peace Agreement and divide the southern regional authority.
Mr. Akasha said he was arrested for his stance alongside several southern political figures. After his release in the early 1990s, he left Sudan and later returned upon a personal invitation from the late Sudan People’s Liberation Movement leader John Garang.
He said Dr. Garang and other SPLM leaders appreciated his contributions to development and urbanisation projects in the South, particularly in Juba.
Amin Akasha married women from both southern and northern communities. He is survived by dozens of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.