South sudanAs part of the agreement, a referendum was held at the beginning of this year to determine the status of southern Sudan. From January 9th to the 15th, 98.83 percent of the southern Sudan population voted to form a new country, the Republic of South Sudan, which will be the 193rd country inducted into the United Nations. The new capital city of Juba will be the venue for celebrations estimated to cost around US$90 million.
More than 2,000 foreign dignitaries are expected to turn up in Juba, including South African President Jacob Zuma, UN Secretary-General Ban Kim Moon, and several delegates from the US such as Susan Rice and Colin Powell. But amidst the celebratory mood, some key issues still remain unresolved. Although Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir will be at the ceremony on Saturday, his presence belie the fact that disagreements still remain between the soon-to-be separated nations and are unlikely to go away anytime soon.
One of the biggest debates between the two nations has been over the contested border region of Abyei. Barely a month ago, Abyei was the scene of fresh armed clashes with both parties refusing to cede control over the region. Although a referendum for Abyei had been scheduled for the beginning of this year, it has since been postponed indefinitely. As a result, the UN Security Council approved the deployment of a 4,200-strong Ethiopian peacekeeping force to the region in order to monitor the situation.
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