News / Africa
Mugabe attends South Sudan official independence celebrations
08 Jul 2011 at 16:38hrs | Views
President Robert Mugabe has arrived in South Sudan where he is attending that country's official independence celebrations.
Mugabe will join over 30 heads of state and governments in South Sudan's capital, Juba, to witness the birth of a new state this Saturday.
The President was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, Zanu PF National Chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior government officials who included Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi..
The birth of Southern Sudan under the leadership of Salva Kiir signals the full implementation of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war which claimed over one million people.
As part of the provisions of the peace deal, a referendum was held in January 2011 which saw over 98% of the people in the south voting overwhelmingly to secede and become Africa's newest country since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993.
Zimbabwe has over the years maintained relations with both north and southern Sudan and already the country has a consulate in South Sudan.
South Sudan is made up of 10 southern-most states of Sudan and is a land of expansive grassland, swamps and tropical rain forest straddling both banks of the White Nile.
Unlike its northern neighbor which is predominantly Muslim, Southern Sudanese follow traditional religions and has a Christian minority.
The new African state boasts of ethnical and language diversity and among the largest ethnic groups are Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk.
Despite the prospect of marking its official independence this weekend South Sudan still has a lot of challenges ahead as it officially breaks away from Northern Sudan under President Omar Al basher.
Conflicts with its northern neighbor which has seen clashes in the last few months has been anchored mainly on the sharing of the oil reserves.
South Sudan is home to the oil reserves, while northern Sudan has the refineries a situation which has created acrimony between the two countries.
The two countries are yet to solve several border disputes among them the border region of Abbey where a referendum for residents to decide on either to join south or north has been delayed over voter eligibility.
The conflict is rooted in a dispute over land between farmers of the pro-South Sudan Dinka Ngok people and cattle-herding Misseriya Arab tribesmen.
Another source of conflict is the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan's South Kordofan state, where violence continues between the largely Christian and pro-SPLA Nuba people and northern government forces.
Inside South Sudan, several rebel forces opposed to the Sudan people's liberation movement dominated government have appeared, including the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) of Peter Gadet and a force led former SPLA general George Athor.
Juba says these forces are funded by Sudan, which denies the accusation.
Mugabe will join over 30 heads of state and governments in South Sudan's capital, Juba, to witness the birth of a new state this Saturday.
The President was seen off at the Harare International Airport by Vice President Joice Mujuru, Zanu PF National Chairman, Simon Khaya Moyo, cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior government officials who included Foreign Affairs Minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi..
The birth of Southern Sudan under the leadership of Salva Kiir signals the full implementation of a 2005 peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running civil war which claimed over one million people.
As part of the provisions of the peace deal, a referendum was held in January 2011 which saw over 98% of the people in the south voting overwhelmingly to secede and become Africa's newest country since Eritrea split from Ethiopia in 1993.
Zimbabwe has over the years maintained relations with both north and southern Sudan and already the country has a consulate in South Sudan.
South Sudan is made up of 10 southern-most states of Sudan and is a land of expansive grassland, swamps and tropical rain forest straddling both banks of the White Nile.
Unlike its northern neighbor which is predominantly Muslim, Southern Sudanese follow traditional religions and has a Christian minority.
The new African state boasts of ethnical and language diversity and among the largest ethnic groups are Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk.
Despite the prospect of marking its official independence this weekend South Sudan still has a lot of challenges ahead as it officially breaks away from Northern Sudan under President Omar Al basher.
Conflicts with its northern neighbor which has seen clashes in the last few months has been anchored mainly on the sharing of the oil reserves.
South Sudan is home to the oil reserves, while northern Sudan has the refineries a situation which has created acrimony between the two countries.
The two countries are yet to solve several border disputes among them the border region of Abbey where a referendum for residents to decide on either to join south or north has been delayed over voter eligibility.
The conflict is rooted in a dispute over land between farmers of the pro-South Sudan Dinka Ngok people and cattle-herding Misseriya Arab tribesmen.
Another source of conflict is the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan's South Kordofan state, where violence continues between the largely Christian and pro-SPLA Nuba people and northern government forces.
Inside South Sudan, several rebel forces opposed to the Sudan people's liberation movement dominated government have appeared, including the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) of Peter Gadet and a force led former SPLA general George Athor.
Juba says these forces are funded by Sudan, which denies the accusation.
Source - Byo24News
