South Sudan Celebrates Independence

After 20 years of war, the people of South Sudan become an independent nation Saturday. The next 24 hours will see the emergence of the world's newest nation but it will not mark the end of trouble in the region. However, the Republic of South Sudan (RoSS) begins its existence without much of anything but joy and hope.

In late January, the people of the region were permitted to vote on independence. The U.N.-sponsored vote resulted in an overwhelming majority in favor of breaking away from Sudan. Reuters reported that 98.8 percent of the votes were in favor of creating a new nation. The vote left a number of territorial disputes unresolved.

The district of Abyei and the state of South Kordofan (Nuba) remain locked in violence. Abyei is a part of South Kordofan but is treated separately under the current international accords. Both areas contain large numbers of ethnic and religious groups linked to South Sudan. The accords provided that both regions would have a say in their future political status but no vote or other referendum has been held.

The United Nations is increasing the number of its peacekeepers in both Sudans on the eve of South Sudan's independence. Fighting in Abyei and South Kordofan has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and humanitarian aid is reaching many of them only with difficulty. The International Rescue Committee calls the situation in South Sudan on the eve of independence "a humanitarian and security crisis ".

South Sudan is resource rich but infrastructure poor. The international airport in its capital, Juba, has only recently received modern radar from South Africa. That nation is also supporting South Sudan with training for its governmental employees, and with security issues. The United States remains the largest donor nation, having provided more than $10 billion since 2005.

The Republic of South Sudan will become independent on July 9. The complex issues facing the world's newest nation will not vanish overnight. The celebrations in Juba and throughout South Sudan on Saturday will signal the beginning of a long process of nation building. Tribal, ethnic and religious disputes, as well as deadly conflicts over resources and territory, remain to be resolved.