Starting from scratch

Starting from scratch

I have been in Southern Sudan for over a week now. I came here with the idea of a war-torn place where people live in extreme poverty. And, sure, an impoverished place it is.

What I came to realise is that it's a place where absolutely everything is non-existent.

Usually after war, one talks about reconstruction. But here it's simply starting from scratch.

Simply not there

Roads, schools, sewage, houses, buildings, electricity, clean water and lot's more are simply not there.

Just to give you idea: Southern Sudan is said to be the size of France and Belgium together yet there are only 2500km of roads, and not all is paved yet.

To go from one state to another is a gruelling trip on dirt roads full of pot-holes that, in some cases, can last for days.

Over the past five years, the government of south sudan has received about $8bn. Half of it has gone into defence, the Sudan's People Liberation Army.

'Everything is needed'

The interior minister made a good point. He said: "The priorities in the south are almost on the same level.

"It's not easy for a leader in the south to figure out which one is the priority, number one or two or three, because everything is needed".

At the end of our chat, I asked him about corruption which many people here complain about. He brushed it aside saying corruption exists everywhere.

True, but not everywhere is Southern Sudan.