South Sudan flag finally raised before 192 nations at UN in New York
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July 15, 2011 (JUBA) – The flag of the newly born Republic of South
Sudan was officially raised at the United Nations headquarters in New
York on Thursday before the 192 exisiting member states of the world
body.
JPEG - 30.7 kb
The flag of South Sudan flies after the United Nations General
Assembly voted on South Sudan’s membership to the United Nations at UN
headquarters in New York July 14, 2011 (Reuters)
South Sudan was officially declared independent last Saturday, July 9,
and was recognised by the United Nations on Thursday, July 15, as the
193rd member state following two separate unanimous votes on Wednesday
and Thursday by the Security Council and the General Assembly
recognising the new state, respectively.
Ambassadors from 192 nations gathered around the South Sudan flag as
it was being raised high among the other flags of the world nations in
the presence of the South Sudan Vice President, Riek Machar Teny, the
President of the UN General Assembly, Joseph Deiss and the Secretary
General of the Security Council, Ban Ki Moon.
The scene was joyous as representatives of the world nations shouted
slogans welcoming South Sudan into being and congratulating the Vice
President Machar for finally joining the world nations as an
independent country.
Hundreds of South Sudanese witnessing the ceremony at the UN
headquarters cried tears of joy as the Head of the Mission of the
Republic of South Sudan to the United States, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth,
performed traditional dances around the flag in front of the UN
officials as the flag was being raised with the South Sudan national
anthem.
Following the vote to recognise South Sudan, the President of the UN
General Assembly, Joseph Deiss, said the world has finally welcomed
South Sudan into the community of nations, adding that the new nation
from Thursday would enjoy the same rights and responsibilities as
other member states.
The Security Council’s Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, told the
gathering that world had gathered at that moment and place with one
voice welcoming South Sudan.
Vice President Riek Machar expressed his gratitude to the world body,
saying South Sudan has finally reached the destiny its people had
longed for over a century and hoped to reach.
Machar told the gathering that the people of the new nation remember
the fallen martyrs among which is the founder of the Sudan People’s
Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A), John Garang de Mabior.
The late founder died in a helicopter crash in South Sudan near the
Ugandan border only 21 days after taking office as the First Vice
President of Sudan and President of semi-autonomous Southern Sudan
after leading 21 years of liberation struggle against Khartoum’s
successive regimes.
Garang negotiated the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which
granted South Sudan the right to secede from the North in a referendum
held in January this year.
South voted by 98 percent to separate but the next task, Machar said,
is to build the new nation, which is severely underdeveloped after
almost continuous conflict since independence from British and
Egyptian rule in 1956.
(ST)
Audio of James Wani Igga, Speaker of South Sudan’s Parliament
declaring the region an independent Republic in Juba on July 9, 2011.
South Sudan is declared independent by the speaker of the new
country"s parliament James Wani Igga in Juba on July 9, 2011 (mp3)
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