JUBA, Sudan – The government of Southern Sudan this week announced a bold $10.1 billion plan to transform the capital cities of this largely rural territory, reshaping some into the shapes of animals and fruit.
The plan unveiled Tuesday in the war-torn region comes ahead of a scheduled January referendum on independence, which most people here believe will lead to the creation of the world's newest country.
The south is rich in oil, but poverty and hunger is high throughout the region, which is struggling to recover after a civil war more than two decades long.
Government officials did not say how they would find the money to finance the project, which includes a plan to transform two state capitals into the shapes of a giraffe and a pineapple, which appear on their flags.
The plan also aims to redesign the southern capital, Juba, and the 10 state capitals, said Jemma Kumba, the minister of housing and physical planning.
"Juba is made up of slums," said Kumba.
Her undersecretary, Daniel Wani, said that planning in the sprawling capital of Juba was "haphazardly done."
As part of the plan, residents of the capital would be relocated to about 10 miles (15 kilometers) outside of Juba in an area called "Rhino City," named after the symbol on the flag of Central Equatoria state.
Wani conceded that the government still needs "a lot of money." He said the government is in discussions with investors.
The southern government's own 2010 budget was only $1.9 billion, and the U.N. says more than 90 percent of Southern Sudan's population lives on less than $1 a day.
Southern Sudan, which is still recovering from decades of war, lacks basic infrastructure such as roads that connect its state capitals. Outside the southern capital Juba, structures aside from mud huts are rare, and in Juba, services such as electricity and sewage are a luxury.
The Minister of Roads and Transport, Anthony Makana, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he needed up to $6 billion to pave 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) of roads in the south.
Makana said the project would connect all of the southern state capitals, but he noted that funding is a concern, given that the government has not finished paying the contractors who built 4,350 miles (7,000 kilometers) of red clay and gravel roads since 2005, when the landmark peace accord between the north and south was signed.
Serikali ya Sudan Kusini imetangaza mpango wa $ 10.1 bilioni wa kubadilisha miji mikuu ya eneo hili la mashambani, na kuibadilisha baadhi ya miji kuwa maumbo ya wanyama na matunda. Mpango huo uliofunuliwa Jumanne katika eneo hilo lililoharibiwa na vita unakuja kabla ya kura ya maoni iliyopangwa kufanyika Januari juu ya uhuru, ambayo watu wengi hapa wanaamini itasababisha kuundwa kwa nchi mpya zaidi duniani. Kusini mwa nchi hiyo kuna mafuta mengi lakini umaskini na njaa ni kubwa katika eneo hilo ambalo linashindana na vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe vilivyodumu kwa zaidi ya miongo miwili. Serikali ya Marekani haijaeleza jinsi itakavyopata fedha za mradi huo, ambao unatia ndani mpango wa kugeuza miji mikuu ya majimbo mawili kuwa na umbo la girafu na pineapple, kama ilivyo kwenye bendera zao. "Mipango hiyo pia inakusudia kubadili muundo wa mji mkuu wa kusini, Juba, na miji mikuu ya majimbo kumi, ""alisema Jemma Kumba, waziri wa makazi na mipango ya kimwili." "Juba imejengwa kwa vitongoji", akasema Kumba. Naibu katibu wake, Daniel Wani, alisema kwamba mipango katika mji mkuu mkubwa wa Juba "ilifanywa kwa bahati mbaya". "Kama sehemu ya mpango huo, wakazi wa mji mkuu wa Juba watahamishwa umbali wa kilomita 15 kutoka Juba katika eneo linaloitwa ""Rhino City,"" jina la alama kwenye bendera ya jimbo la Central Equatoria." Wani alikiri kwamba serikali bado inahitaji "pesa nyingi". Alisema serikali inajadili na wawekezaji. Mkataba wa mwaka 2010 wa serikali ya Sudan Kusini na Umoja wa Mataifa unaonyesha kuwa asilimia 90 ya watu wa Sudan Kusini wanaishi kwa chini ya dola moja kwa siku. Sudan Kusini, ambayo bado inajirekebisha baada ya miaka mingi ya vita, haina miundombinu ya msingi kama vile barabara zinazounganisha miji mikuu ya majimbo yake. Nje ya mji mkuu wa kusini Juba, majengo mengine mbali na vibanda vya udongo ni nadra, na katika Juba, huduma kama vile umeme na maji machafu ni anasa. Waziri wa Barabara na Usafiri wa nchi hiyo Anthony Makana amesema kuwa serikali inahitaji dola bilioni 6 ili kujenga barabara za kilomita 13,000 kusini mwa nchi hiyo. Makana alisema mradi huo utaunganisha miji mikuu ya majimbo yote ya kusini, lakini alisema kuwa fedha ni wasiwasi, kwa kuzingatia kwamba serikali haijawahi kumaliza kulipa wakandarasi ambao walijenga maili 4,350 za barabara za udongo na mchanga tangu mwaka 2005, wakati makubaliano ya amani kati ya kaskazini na kusini yalipokuwa yakisainiwa.