By Jason Benham

Ibrahim Akasha sits outside his office in south Sudan's capital Juba -- one of hundreds of northerners who are dismissing fears of reprisals to stay and build on businesses in the region after its expected secession.

"My life is here. I was born here. I have been here during the wars. How can I go to Khartoum", said Akasha, days ahead of the scheduled January 9 start of a referendum, giving southerners the choice whether to declare independence.

His resolve is in sharp contrast to tens of thousands of southerners who have left the north in recent months, many of them unnerved by reports they could be stripped of their citizenship and lose basic rights once the south splits away.

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