Sauth Sudan`s flag raised at independance ceremony.
Posted by M.int on 9/7/2011, 16:53:36, in reply to "Guney Sudan 9
Temmuz,da BM uyesi bagimsiz devlet."
9 July 2011 Last updated at 14:20 GMT
South Sudan's flag raised at independence ceremony
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The BBC's Will Ross describes the celebrations in the capital Juba
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Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have watched the raising of the
new country's flag at an independence ceremony in the capital, Juba.
Salva Kiir signed the constitution and took his oath of office in
front of the jubilant crowds, becoming the president of the world's
newest nation.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon are among
dignitaries watching the historic events.
Sudan earlier became the first state to officially recognise its new
neighbour.
The world's newest nation was born at midnight local South Sudanese
time (2100 GMT), the climax of a process made possible by the 2005
peace deal that ended a long civil war.
The south's independence follows decades of conflict with the north
in which some 1.5 million people died.
South Sudan became the 193rd country recognised by the UN and the
54th UN member state in Africa.
Tears
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At the scene
Peter Martell
BBC News, Juba
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A sea of people filled Freedom Square in Juba, next to the mausoleum
of the late John Garang, the rebel leader who led the South Sudanese
during the civil war. They waved flags and screamed in happiness as
South Sudan officially became with world's newest nation.
The wild crowds surged forward, dancing for hours in the baking sun.
Several people fainted in the heat but the mood was ecstatic. When
the giant flag of South Sudan rose on the 30m flagpole, men cried,
women ululated and thousands waved flags in a blur of colour.
A host of world leaders spoke on the podium, but the real party was
at the back of the site where thousands danced to traditional drum
beats.
Overnight there had also been dancing and drumming in streets during
the final countdown to independence. Those who could not fit inside
the cars that zoomed around town hung out the windows, or sat on the
roof. One car had the sign plastered on the back window: "Just
divorced."
South Sudanese celebrate their divorce
Celebrations in Juba began at midnight (2100 GMT). A countdown clock
in the city centre reached zero and the new national anthem was
played on television.
Saturday's independence ceremony is being held at the mausoleum of
the late rebel leader John Garang, who died just months after
signing the peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running conflict.
The BBC's Will Ross in Juba says people have flocked to the event on
a baking hot day - some of them climbing trees to get a view.
There is a heartfelt display of excitement mixed with relief that
after many years of feeling oppressed the tie with the north has
finally been cut, he says.
The Speaker of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga,
read out the Proclamation of the Independence.
Crowds then cheered as Sudan's national flag was lowered and the new
flag of South Sudan was raised as trumpets played the new national
anthem.
Afterwards the master of ceremonies told the crowd that President
Kiir has decided not to hand over the flag of the Republic of Sudan.
"It shall be kept be kept in the archives of South Sudan in
recognition of the common history that we have lived together," he
told the crowd.
Our reporter says people in the crowds have been saying it is a
moment to celebrate but they are also talking about the many lost
relatives who died during the war.
'Southern brothers'
Mr Bashir, who agreed the 2005 peace deal with the Sudan People's
Liberation Army (SPLA), also spoke at the ceremony.
"We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of
their new state," Reuters news agency quotes him as saying.
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South Sudan
Facts and figures:
Population: 7.5-9.7 million
Size: 619,745 sq km (239,285 sq miles), larger than Spain and
Portugal combined
Major languages: English, Arabic (both official), Juba Arabic, Dinka
Religion: Traditional and a Christian minority
Main export: Oil
Challenges ahead:
One of world's least developed countries: Worst maternal mortality
rate; most children below 13 not in school; 84% of women are
illiterate
Relations with Sudan: Dividing debts and oil; border disputes;
citizenship
Security: At least seven active rebel groups
South Sudan profile
Viewpoint: Mother Africa's latest child
Q&A: South Sudan independence
"The will of the people of the south has to be respected."
Other dignitaries attending the celebrations include former US
Secretary of State Colin Powell and the US permanent representative
to the UN, Susan Rice.
Meanwhile, in Khartoum, for most people it has been a low-key day,
though scores of men gathered near the Blue Nile holding giant
Sudanese flags and shouting: "Allahu Akbar [God is great], the BBC
James Copnall reports from the northern capital.
"I'm very happy today. We feel this is our independence day too, our
real independence day," one man said.
But not everyone in the north feels that way, our reporter says.
Famous actor Ali Mahdi told the BBC he was sad, although he
respected the choice of South Sudanese.
He felt is could also be the opportunity for Sudan to become a more
democratic country.
Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was held on
independence, which was approved by more than 99% of voters.
The new country is rich in oil, but one of the least developed
countries in the world, where one in seven children dies before the
age of five.
Unresolved disputes between the north and south, particularly over
the new border, have also raised the possibility of renewed
conflict.
Fears of fresh violence resurfaced after recent fighting in two
border areas, Abyei and South Kordofan, where some 170,000 people
have been forced from their homes.
But separate deals - and the withdrawal of rival forces from the
border - have calmed tensions.
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution approving a
7,000-strong peacekeeping force for South Sudan - but this is
basically a rebranding of the force that was already in Sudan,
mostly in the south.
Our correspondent says keeping both the north and the south stable
long after the celebratory parties have ended will be a challenge.
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The two sides must still decide on issues such as drawing up the new
border and how to divide Sudan's debts and oil wealth.
Analysts say the priority for Khartoum will be to negotiate a
favourable deal on oil revenue, as most oilfields lie in the south.
At present, the revenues are being shared equally.
Khartoum has some leverage, as most of the oil pipelines flow north
to Port Sudan on the Red Sea.
Citizenship is also a key sticking point. A new law passed by the
National Assembly in Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship
from all southerners.
The UN refugee agency has urged both governments to prevent
statelessness.
