Construction peaks in S Sudan ahead of referendum

The arms that had for decades carried weapons are now seen with construction tools as building activities peaked in the South Sudanese capital Juba in anticipation of a possible north-south separation and in preparation for the birth of a new country.

Juba, the long-awaited capital of an independent South Sudan and the current capital of the semi-autonomous Government of South Sudan, has turned from a battlefield into a construction site ahead of a January 9 plebiscite.

Development in Juba is relatively recent and is linked to the approach of the referendum that decides whether the southern city will be the capital of the emerging state, said architect Joud al-Samanoul.

“Recent development initiatives attracted several companies in different fields, especially design, architecture, and contracting,” she told Al Arabiya.

Samanoul added that soaring rents and the absence of a reliable infrastructure did not obstruct the ongoing construction and the rising demand for accommodation.

“This sped up development activities and started changing the way the city looks.”

Construction activities are not only related to creating an independent state, but also to the image of the Southern Sudanese in front of the International community, said tradesman Albert Paulo.

“We want to deliver a message to the whole world that the people of the south want to settle down and are capable of success,” he told Al Arabiya.
The 10 states of Southern Sudan are scheduled to vote in the January 9 referendum, which is expected to result in the separation of the north and the south.

Recent development initiatives attracted several companies in different fields, especially design, architecture, and contracting

Architect Joud al-Samanoul

Countdown to referendum

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is scheduled to visit the south five days before the referendum where he is scheduled to meet with South Sudanese President Salva Kiir.

The meeting between both presidents is part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, signed by the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), according to Al Arabiya correspondent in Sudan Mabior Shliloh.

“They are going to discuss several critical procedures that will prevent the outbreak of another war between the north and the south,” Shliloh told Al Arabiya.

More than 5,000 soldiers are deployed to guarantee a conflict-free referendum, amid concerns of violence and worries about the readiness of the south for independence. On the other hand, U.N. reports described the South as ready for the referendum.

(Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid).