The other Sudan

ISABELLA RICCI | Wednesday July 13, 2011 00:00

But even as the national flag of Sudan was lowered, replaced by the flag of the new republic, victims of clashes in South Kordofan and the Nuba Mountains were in mourning.

They may have started building the new nation, but South Sudan still has a list of conflicts longer than the Nile to resolve. South Sudan is the 193rd member state of the United Nations: poor and scarred by decades of conflict, it will have to prove itself quickly: failure to create a viable and economically independent South Sudan could destabilize the entire region, and question its legitimacy. Mass immigration from both sides has left many homeless and strangers on their own land.

What's in a name?It's not just a question of identification. If South Sudan is to move ahead of its turbulent past, it needs to re-invent itself - starting with its name. More than a dozen names have been suggested for the new country, which is temporarily being called the Republic of Southern Sudan. Suggested names include Nile Republic, Kush Republic, Azania and Juwama.

The new capital of South Sudan, Juba, however, put aside all the skeptics for a grand show on Saturday. Dance festivals, joint feasts of all faiths, sporting events and candlelight vigils were held on Friday as a run up to the midnight ringing of the bells to usher in the historic birth of the Republic of South Sudan. Military parades were held opposite SPLM's first leader John Garang's mausoleum at the Freedom Square. Amidst tight security, hundreds of South Sudanese sang their new national anthem composed by local poets.

The national anthemA competition was held in January, and after sorting over 40 entries, the winning composition was picked. The optimistic lyrics are geared towards change, calling people to 'Arise, shine, raise your flag with the guiding star, and sing songs of freedom with joy, for peace, liberty and justice'. Saturday saw close to 30 representatives from African states, several ministers and diplomats from around the globe, and close to 100,000 local spectators, in attendance.

Botswana's minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Phandu Skelemani, also attended the ceremonies. And although it is too early to assume the exact nature of the economic and diplomatic ties of the Botswana government with South Sudan, Jeff Ramsey (spokesperson for the government), said that Botswana 'welcomes their independence very much.' 'We were one of the early voices in the African Union to raise concerns about the issues in Sudan,' says Ramsey, ' and have a very special relationship with them', referring to Salva Kiir Mayardit's visit in 2009.GovernmentRebels-turned-politicians, South Sudan will inherit the basic power structure of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. Stetson-wearing President Salva Kiir Mayardit took the oath as President. Elections are promised, but no date has been finalized.

However, the celebrations of independence from the oppressive north are marred by continued violence along the border. The UN may have given its approval for independence, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in attendance; but there are several reports of corruption, growing internal opposition, and signs of autocratic rule emerging.

with new bordersThe north and the south still have to agree on the precise division along the border, with the question of oil-rich regions like Abyei still being fiercely debated. The key to stability in South Sudan will depend on peace near such regions, as oil is the main source of revenue. In 2009 South Sudan's export earnings from oil were 98 percent, in contrast to North Sudan's 65 percent.

The 2005 peace deal between the two nations had established an equal revenue sharing policy, which will have to be ratified considering three-quarters of the oil is in the South. In desperate need of economic and infrastructural development, South Sudan will have to reach a realistic revenue distribution, and at the same time keep the North satisfied - as all pipelines and refineries are in the North. Opposition spokesperson Moeti Mohwasa from the BNF said that 'there were lessons to be learnt from South Sudan'. Botswana, he said, has similar issues of unequal development and distribution of revenues, and could lead to social dissent. What makes a Southerner?A new law passed by Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship from all Southerners, leaving several displaced refugees stateless. The south has said it will recognize dual north-south citizenship, but the north is yet to reciprocate. Throughout the independence struggle, South Sudan was united in its common goal for emancipation from the North. Post-independence, all opposition to SPLM, that had suppressed their concerns for the sake of liberation, will have to be given a fair and equal chance to voice their concerns. As the celebrations end, the current government has to open its door for a multi-party system to fairly represent the South's diversity.

Born from conflict and into poverty, the newest African nation has tough times ahead. More women die due to pregnancy related complications here than anywhere else in the world, literacy rates are appalling, close to 150,000 people have fled from violence in the south, according to the UN. Key agreements on oil, debt, border demarcation, a lasting solution for Abyei still unresolved. At the bottom of global ranking in health, education, infrastructure and safety, analysts fear the worst is yet to come.