South Sudanese Carrying National Flag

"Landep News"

South Sudanese Carrying National Flag

South Sudan becomes on July 9, 2011, the newest nation in the world as it proclaims independence from Sudan as a result of the referendum in January, by which 99% of the South Sudanese decided to secede and form a new nation.

The referendum was accepted by the northern Sudan, who promised, through the voice of its president, controversial Omar al-Bashir, to help the newly created state in every way it could.

Continuing in the same line of maintaining good relations with their new neighbors, the Republic of Sudan (northern Sudan) was the first to acknowledge the new state, on Friday.

South Sudan is the first African country to proclaim independence since Eritrea broke away from Ethiopia back in 1995.

Sudan gained independence from British and Egyptian rule in 1956 but the southern Sudanese complained against the new authorities in Khartoum for not keeping their word to create a federal system where they could keep their culture and faith.

Map of South Sudan

South Sudanese are English-speaking Christians, while the north Sudanese are Arab-speaking Muslims.

In 1955 south Sudanese officers mutinied and thus sparked a civil war between the south and the government in Khartoum.

The war ended in 1972, with the peace agreement in Adis Ababa, and the southern people acquired a certain degree of autonomy.

The rebellion broke out again in 1983, as the Sudan’s People Liberation Movement protested the cancellation by the government in Khartoum of their previous autonomy.

Since the movement was backed by a Sudan’s People Liberation Army, an all-out war was unleashed, and dragged on for the next two decades.

1,5 million people are said to have lost their lives in 22 of brutal civil war, and four million were displaced. Many South Sudanese had to flee to the north or to the neighboring countries.

The conflict ended in 2005 with another agreement that restored the autonomy of the south and the possibility of a referendum for independence. The referendum was organized in 2011.

The main resource of the economy of the new state is oil. It is believed that over 75% of the oil reserves of Sudan were located down south, which means that the new republic can take its place among the oil-rich countries.

President Kiir Taking Oath

That doesn’t mean the north will lose grip on south’s oil altogether. Even though the reserves are in the south, the nearest port through which the south can sell its oil is on the territory of the north and the pipes will run through the north, which makes it compulsory that the states have a good relation, and enough security for those pipes to run free all the way from the extraction sites to the port’s tanks.

Furthermore, the peace agreement conceded the south 50% of the oil wealth, but the agreement expires with the independence. A new settlement will probably be made as soon as officials in Khartoum have officially established counterparts in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Even so, South Sudan remains for the moment the poorest country in the world, wich a subsistance economy and agriculture.

There are other issues to be settled, such as the jurisdiction over Abyei province, which delayed a referendum on the account of voter eligibility, and over the Nuba Mountains, where conflicts went on between pro-Arabs and south Christians.

Military Parade

The celebration of independence on Saturday includes the presence of many high-ranked officials from the most powerful states of the world, who will come to Juba to attend the moment of proclamation.

Thus the ceremony will include the presence at the venue of the leadership of the new state, and of the foreign officials. At the tune of the Sudanese anthem the president of north Sudan Omar al Bashir will arrive and will attend the ceremony, in spite of the fact that he is under an international arrest warrant, and S. Sudan will be as of today a foreign country.

Military parades will be executed, and prayers by both Catholic and Muslim clerics.

By 11:45 local time, the Proclamation of Independence will be read by the Speaker of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly, Rt Hon James Wani Igga.

At 12:05 the provisional constitution of South Sudan will be signed by Vice President of the Republic of Sudan, and President of South Sudan Government H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit.

At 12:15 President Kiir takes the oath before the President of Supreme Court of Sudan as the first president of the Republic of South Sudan. The anthem of South Sudan will be played.

The proclamation ceremonies will continue for more days with cultural and sport activities. A folk concert on Saturday, a football match between Kenya and S. Sudan on Sunday, a basketball match between Uganda and S. Sudan on Monday, a sports carnival on Tuesday.

The United States will send a delegation led by Condolezza Rice, and the pope will be represented by the archbishop of Nairobi, Kenya.  Russia and India already announced the recognition of the new state.

There were voices who advanced the hypothesis that Omar al-Bashir may have his arrest warrant removed as a result of his full cooperation in the creation of the newest state of the world, South Sudan.

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