The Republic of South Sudan, after a bloody 22-year civil war with their northern neighbors that cost more than 2 million lives, is formally recognized as a new nation by President Obama.
The black African tribes of the southern part of Sudan declared their independence from the mostly Arab north in a ceremony in Juba, the capital of the world’s newest nation. This is what the citizens had been fighting for after enduring two civil wars that lasted more than five decades.
Many south Sudanese residents openly wept during the ceremony while many others danced, chanted and sang songs at the realization of a long-held dream that cost so much to obtain. Nations as far away as China and the United States joined them in their celebration.
“A proud flag flies over Juba, and the world’s map has been redrawn,” Obama said in a statement from the White House. “Together, we can ensure that today marks another step forward in Africa’s long journey toward opportunity, democracy and justice.”
The new president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit, echoed Obama’s sentiments in a statement the Associated Press reports: “I am proud to declare that the United States formally recognizes the Republic of South Sudan as a sovereign and independent state upon this date, July 9, 2011. After so much struggle by the people of South Sudan, the United States of America welcomes the birth of a new nation.”
When the celebration dies down, the new nation, which is the size of Texas, will be facing old problems. South Sudan is among the world’s poorest nations and has among the globe’s highest rates of maternal mortality rates and female illiteracy rates. Although the Arab north has flourished over the years, the south has been plagued by a dizzying array of ailments — children dying from simple diseases, infrastructural decay and lack of clean drinking water throughout the entire region.
–terry shropshire
