Brussels, 29/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - The newly independent Republic of South Sudan may, with the help of the international community, be gradually putting in place the means “to build an inclusive, democratic society” but the challenges it has to face are massive, as MEPs Niccolò Rinaldi (ALDE, Italy) and Patrice Tirolien (S&D, France) discovered when they visited the country from Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 July. Rinaldi told EUROPE that the first impression is of a country “that needs everything”. The main challenge, however, concerns the management of oil resources, “which are not yet regulated”, he pointed out. He said that South Sudan should look to the example of East Timor and set up “a sovereign oil fund to prevent corruption from developing and ensure no economic and political oligarchy develops”. After meeting the Speaker of the South Sudan, the European Parliament (EP) delegation travelled to Rumbek, in the Lakes State, to visit projects supported by the international community which have been gradually starting up, such as the water supply project developed with the support of the European Commission's humanitarian wing, ECHO, and another to provide food security for women. The MEPs welcomed the allocation by the EU of €200 million to support the implementation of the of South Sudanese government's forthcoming 2011-13 Development Plan, for “education, health, agriculture, food security and democratic governance”, an EP press release reports. The international donors conference for South Sudan, due to take place in October, will provide an opportunity to plan and coordinate aid. Rinaldi warns, however, of the risk that, “as has already happened in Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Haiti, if there is no effective coordination, international action could result in a massive waste of money and the loss of a real opportunity for growth for the country”. It is for the EU to ensure that there will, indeed, be successful coordination to make sure that the initiatives to be put in place in South Sudan will be as beneficial as possible, he said. (J.K./G.Ba/transl.rt)