South Sudan Celebrates its First Independence Day

South Sudan became the world’s newest nation after declaring independence from the north in Juba on Saturday.

Salva Kiir became the first President of the newest nation and his Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) is the ruling party of the country.

The country's official birth is set to come at 11:45am local time, when assembly Speaker James Wani Igga reads the proclamation of independence, Aljazeera reported.

Today we shall raise the flag of South Sudan to join the nations of the world, said Pagan Amum, the secretary general of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement, speaking at the base of a giant flagpole after independence was declared.

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese poured into streets before midnight in Juba to celebrate their Independence Day.

Some people performed their traditional song and dance; others waved the new South Sudanese flag. One man waved a banner which stated that independence meant freedom from slavery.

Security was tight in Juba as a whole. Private vehicles have been barred from driving on main roads in the South Sudanese capital.

A New Beginning

South Sudan was declared Independence six months after a January referendum in which nearly 99 per cent of South Sudanese voted for a separate South Sudan.

More than 2.5 million people were killed during the conflict between South and North Sudan.

The new state of South Sudan is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped in the world, but many seem optimistic that independence from the north will mean a better standard of living, Aljazeera reported.