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South Sudan
celebrates its birth as a new nation
AP, JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN
South Sudan raised the flag of its new nation for the first time yesterday, as
thousands of South Sudanese citizens and dozens of international dignitaries
swarmed the capital of Juba to celebrate the countryˇ¦s birth.
South Sudan became the worldˇ¦s newest country yesterday with a raucous street
party at midnight. At a packed midday ceremony, the speaker of parliament read a
proclamation of independence as the flag of Sudan was lowered and the flag of
South Sudan raised, sparking wild cheers from the crowd.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former US secretary of state Colin Powell and
dozens of other world leaders were in attendance under a blazing sun as South
Sudan President Salva Kiir hosted the noon-hour ceremony.
Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, a deeply unpopular man in Juba, arrived to a
mixture of boos and surprised murmurs.
Thousands of South Sudan residents thronged the celebration area and organizers
soon learned they did not have enough seats for all the visiting heads of state
and other VIPs.
ˇ§Weˇ¦re overwhelmed. We did not know that the whole world was going to join us in
our celebration,ˇ¨ the ceremonyˇ¦s announcer said.
The black African tribes of South Sudan and the mainly Arab north fought two
civil wars over more than five decades. In the latest war from 1983 to 2005
perhaps as many as 2 million died.
Thousands of South Sudanese poured into the ceremonial arena when the gates
opened. Traditional dancers drummed in the streets as residents waved tiny
flags. Activists from the western Sudan region of Darfur, which has suffered
heavy violence the past decades, held up a sign that said ˇ§Bashir is wanted dead
or alive.ˇ¨ Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war
crimes in Darfur.
The leader of the US delegation, American ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, was
expected to extend greetings from US President Barack Obama to the worldˇ¦s
newest state.
South Sudan is expected to become the 193rd country recognized by the UN next
week and the 54th UN member state in Africa.
Though yesterday was a day of celebration, residents of South Sudan face many
challenges. Their country is oil-rich, but is one of the poorest and
least-developed on Earth. Unresolved problems between the south and its former
foe to the north could mean new conflict along the new international border,
advocates and diplomats warn.
Violence has broken out in the contested border region of Abyei in recent weeks,
and fighting is ongoing in Southern Kordofan, a state that lies in Sudan ˇX not
South Sudan ˇX but which has many residents loyal to the south. The 2,100km
north-south border is disputed in five areas, several of which are being
illegally occupied by either northern or southern troops.
While South Sudan is now expected to control of more than 75 percent of what was
Sudanˇ¦s daily oil production, it has no refineries and southern oil must flow
through the northˇ¦s pipelines to reach market.
Meanwhile, Taiwan recognized the establishment of the Republic of South Sudan
effective from today and expressed its deep admiration for the will of its
people in pursuing independence and self determination, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs said in a press statement yesterday.
As a member of the international community that embraces the values of democracy
and freedom, the Republic of China (ROC) congratulates the Republic of South
Sudan on achieving independence and wishes the country a prosperous future, the
statement said.
Although it took many decades of struggle, the people of Sudan ultimately
determined their own fate through a peaceful referendum on independence, the
statement said, adding that national self-determination is a fundamental right
recognized by the UN and that the power to make decisions about a nationˇ¦s
future lies solely in the hands of its people
Additional reporting by Shih Hsiu-chuan
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