South Sudan officially became the 193rd member of the United Nations on Thursday [14 Jul 2011] morning, capping a flurry of activities that started with its independence last week.<\/p>\n
The United Nations Security Council recommended the world’s newest nation to the General Assembly on Wednesday. The General Assembly acted on the council’s recommendation Thursday.<\/p>\n
“We look forward to the Republic of South Sudan joining us as a member of the United Nations and to working closely with its representatives,” Guido Westerwelle, the foreign minister of Germany, said in a statement Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Germany is leading the Security Council this month.<\/p>\n
South Sudanese celebrated their independence Saturday in a boisterous ceremony attended by world leaders, including Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary-general.<\/p>\n
South Sudan’s sovereignty officially broke Africa’s largest nation into two, the result of a January referendum overwhelmingly approved by voters.<\/p>\n
The referendum was part of a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war pitting a government dominated by Arab Muslims in the north against black Christians and animists in the South.<\/p>\n
The two countries look set to divorce in name only — they have not reached an agreement on the borders, the oil or the status of their respective citizens.<\/p>\n
Ban urged north and South Sudan to work together, and said the United Nations has a crucial role to play in their success.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Sudan parliament has given preliminary approval to revoking citizenship of South Sudan nationals, according to SUNA, the state news agency.<\/p>\n