TheDrakeMan
07-09-2011, 12:02 PM
Will Ross describes the scene as the South Sudanese flag is raised in Juba
Continue reading the main story
Sudan: Set for divorce
How do you set up a country?
How long will the smiles last?
Hollywood's role in independence
'He died for this day'
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 president of the world's newest nation.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon were among dignitaries watching the 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.
Tears
Saturday's independence ceremony was 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 flocked to the event on a baking hot day - some of them climbing trees to get a view.
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 in the archives of South Sudan in recognition of the common history that we have lived together," he told the crowd.
Our correspondent says people in the crowds said it was a moment to celebrate but they were also talking about the many lost relatives who died during the war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14092375
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highlighted.sv g/250px-Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highlighted.sv g.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Sudan_Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highligh ted.svg/250px-Sudan_Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highligh ted.svg.png
Continue reading the main story
Sudan: Set for divorce
How do you set up a country?
How long will the smiles last?
Hollywood's role in independence
'He died for this day'
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 president of the world's newest nation.
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon were among dignitaries watching the 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.
Tears
Saturday's independence ceremony was 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 flocked to the event on a baking hot day - some of them climbing trees to get a view.
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 in the archives of South Sudan in recognition of the common history that we have lived together," he told the crowd.
Our correspondent says people in the crowds said it was a moment to celebrate but they were also talking about the many lost relatives who died during the war.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14092375
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highlighted.sv g/250px-Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highlighted.sv g.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Sudan_Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highligh ted.svg/250px-Sudan_Sudan_%28orthographic_projection%29_highligh ted.svg.png