Will Ross describes the scene as the South Sudanese flag is raised in Juba
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'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
Continue reading the main story 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.
"Our martyrs did not die in vain... We have waited for more than 56
years for this day," President Kiir said.
Continue reading the main story
"It is a day that will be forever engraved on our hearts and minds,"
he added, before extending an amnesty to those who have taken up
arms against the government of South Sudan.
There are at least seven active rebel groups in the south, one of the
many challenges the new country faces.
Mr Bashir, who agreed the 2005 peace deal with the Sudan People's
Liberation Army (SPLA), also spoke at the ceremony congratulating
his "southern brothers".
"The will of the people of the south has to be respected," he said,
adding that he hoped the south's independence would lead the US
to lift sanctions against his country.
Other dignitaries attending the celebrations included former US
Secretary of State Colin Powell and the US permanent representative
to the UN, Susan Rice.'Sad'
Meanwhile, in Khartoum, for most people it has been a low-key
day, the BBC James Copnall reports from the northern capital.
However, scores of men gathered near the Blue Nile holding giant
Sudanese flags and shouting: "Allahu Akbar [God is great].
"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.
South Sudan is rich in oil, but is one of the least developed countries in the
world, where one in seven children dies before the age of five.
Correspondents say keeping both the north and the south stable long after the
celebratory parties have ended will be a challenge.
Continue reading the main story
Fears of a new war resurfaced after recent fighting in two border areas, Abyei
and South Kordofan, where some 170,000 people have been forced from their homes.
Separate deals - and the withdrawal of rival forces from the border - have
calmed tensions.
But 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.
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.
Sudan: A country divided
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.
At the scene
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.
- South Sudanese celebrate their divorce
- In pictures: South Sudan's birth
- South Sudan profile
- Viewpoint: Mother Africa's latest child
- Q&A: South Sudan independence
South Sudan
Facts and figures:
- Population: 7.5-9.7 million
- Size: 619,745 sq km (239,285 sq miles), larger than Spain
- Major languages: English, Arabic (both official), Juba
- Religion: Traditional and a Christian minority
- Main export: Oil
Challenges ahead:
- One of world's least developed countries: Worst maternal
of women are illiterate
- Relations with Sudan: Dividing debts and oil; border
- Security: At least seven active rebel groups
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