The structure of South Sudan’s new $10 billion capital remains shrouded in mystery and virtually no progress has been made more than thirteen years after it was first announced, according to research of recently captured satellite imagery.
Ramciel, the new capital, is located in the Lakes State, on a domain that was once a rhino sanctuary. Despite the lack of recent updates on the task, the government insists that the task is still ongoing.
The South Sudanese government has announced the resumption of Ramciel’s allocation in 2023, with the vice president of the infrastructure group, Taban Deng Gai, mentioning that it was already underway in February last year.
However, no further progress has been reported since then. Photos of the master plan appeared on social media, but many were misleading.
The original plan was to move the government’s executive power to Ramciel, while Juba, the existing capital, remains South Sudan’s publicity hub and potentially the judicial or legislative hub. Currently, Ramciel is uninhabited and lacks critical infrastructure such as roads and electricity.
The relocation aims to cope with Juba’s unforeseen nature. The capital was never designed to be a big city; It went from being a small city to accommodate a developing population without the mandatory infrastructure. The population has increased from approximately 250,000 in 2005 to more than 500,000 in 2010, exacerbating traffic congestion and depleting resources.
Its proponents argue that Ramciel offers a fresh start for a modern city designed for long-term expansion and technological advances. National Security Minister Oyai Deng Ajak is under pressure that the new city could attract significant foreign investment, boosting the economy and the lives of citizens.
Despite the government’s optimism, a feasibility study conducted in 2006 raised serious concerns about Ramciel’s opportunity. The study found that parts of the proposed site were swampy and prone to flooding, casting doubt on its capacity for large-scale urban development.
The plan to move the capital dates back to Dr. John Garang, former leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), before his death in 2005. According to Garang, its implementation would be in line with South Sudan’s independence.
Years later, South Sudan gained its independence following a referendum held in January 2011, in which the population voted overwhelmingly to secede from Sudan following a bloody war that left at least two million dead, most of them civilians. the progression of the master plan for the proposed megacity.
The resolution was also due to a preference to avoid territorial disputes with the Bari tribe, which owned much of Juba’s lands.
Initial plans for the project, which would have been funded with approximately $5 million from Morocco and carried out through South Korea, were delayed due to currency constraints, political considerations, and logistical challenges. South Sudan’s vice president discussed several setbacks in construction. , adding the COVID-19 pandemic, which especially derailed the country’s plans.
The resolution to move the capital divided the reviews between legislators and citizens. Some see it as a way to distribute progress more equitably across the country, while others see it as an expense given the existing fighting in the young country, adding to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Sudan. that threatens to spread.
Several countries have built new capitals for strategic, economic and political reasons. Brazil created Brasilia in 1960 to modernize Rio de Janeiro, with the aim of selling the progress of the country’s interior and cutting off the concentration of political force in the coastal regions.
Similarly, Nigeria moved its capital from Lagos to Abuja in 1991 to fight congestion and overcrowding and create a central capital to unify ethnic groups. Myanmar, Kazakhstan and Malaysia have also replaced their administrative capitals in recent years, while Indonesia is in the process of moving its overcrowded and decaying capital, Jakarta, to a new location.
Jesus is a reporter for Newsweek Live News founded in New York City. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, he focuses on existing occasions and trends. He has covered global politics, migration, pop culture, and sports. Jesus joined Newsweek’s U. S. bureau. In the past he worked for the Financial Times and was a foreign journalist and editor-in-chief of the newsletter El Espectador in Colombia. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and virtual innovation from New York University. Languages: English, Spanish.
You can contact Jesus by emailing j. mosquera@newsweek. com
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