South Sudan has become the world's newest nation, the climax of a process made possible by the 2005 peace deal that ended a long and bloody civil war.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon are among the international dignitaries attending the celebrations in the capital, Juba.
Sudan earlier became the first state to officially recognise its new neighbour.
The south's independence follows decades of conflict with the north, in which some 1.5 million people died.
Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was held on independence, which was favoured 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.
'Brotherly relations'
The celebrations in Juba began at midnight (2100 GMT), when the countdown clock in the town centre reached zero and the new national anthem was played on local television.
South Sudan became the 193rd country recognised by the United Nations and the 54th UN member state in Africa.
The BBC's Will Ross in Juba says the new country's problems are being put aside for the night, and there is an air of great jubilation.
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
- 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
People are in the streets, cheering, waving South Sudan flags, banging on drums, chanting Mr Kiir's name, and honking their vehicles' horns, our correspondent adds.
Earlier, Sudan's Minister of Presidential Affairs, Bakri Hassan Saleh, announced that it recognised the "the Republic of South Sudan as an independent state, according to the borders existing on 1 January 1956", when Sudan gained independence from Britain.
President Bashir, who agreed the 2005 peace deal with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), has pledged his support to South Sudan and said he wants the new country to be "secure and stable".
"We will bless our brothers in the south over their country and we wish them success," he said earlier this week.
But he warned that "brotherly relations" depended on secure borders and non-interference in each others' affairs.
There had been fears that war could resume after recent fighting in two border areas, Abyei and South Kordofan, which has forced some 170,000 people from their homes.
But separate deals in recent weeks, and the withdrawal of rival forces from the border, have calmed tensions.
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution approving a new 7,000-strong peacekeeping force for South Sudan - but this is basically a rebranding of the force which was already in Sudan, mostly in the south.
Khartoum has said their mandate would not be renewed, leading the US to argue that the 1,000 UN troops should be allowed to remain in South Kordofan. The 1,000 troops in the disputed town of Abyei are to be replaced by 4,200 Ethiopian soldiers.
Challenges ahead
Our correspondent says keeping both the north and the south stable long after the celebratory parties have ended will be a mighty challenge.
Click to play
All you need to know about South Sudan's independence
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 issue which has not yet been decided.
A new law passed by the National Assembly in Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship from all southerners.
As many as 10 million people could be affected, including southerners who live in the north, those in South Sudan, and those who live abroad.
The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says it is not immediately clear how the northern authorities will define a southerner, nor whether their definition will match South Sudan's.
The UN refugee agency, the UNCHR, has urged both governments to prevent statelessness.
There are also lots of individuals with ties to both states, our correspondent adds.
President Bashir has ruled out dual nationality for southerners, though he said their rights would be protected.
A senior northern official also said there would be a nine-month transitional period for southerners in the north to sort out their status.
The UN estimates there are still more than one million southerners in Sudan, particularly around Khartoum. More than 300,000 others have gone back to South Sudan since November, and more are likely to follow.
The great divide across Sudan is visible even from space, as this Nasa satellite image shows. The northern states are a blanket of desert, broken only by the fertile Nile corridor. South Sudan is covered by green swathes of grassland, swamps and tropical forest. -bbcwhat do you think about this?
No comments:
Post a Comment