BBC News with Marion Marshall
World leaders have congratulated the Republic of South Sudan on gaining independence. The">The American President Barack Obama said it was a reminder that after the darkness of war, a new dawn was possible. Tens of thousands of people celebrated in the capital Juba as the flag of South Sudan was raised at the tomb of the rebel leader John Garang, who led the fight for nationhood. The">The speaker of the Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga, caught the mood of the crowd.
"Southern Sudan, oh yeah. Freedom, oh yeah. Freedom, oh yeah."
Our correspondent Will Ross is in Juba. He
witness
ed the day's events and sent us this report.
The
euphoria
built as people here waved goodbye to the north of Sudan and the flag of South Sudan was raised. Tens of thousands watched, full of pride, the end of a long journey through decades of war. Wearing his
trademark
black cowboy hat, the President of the South, Salva Kiir, was sworn in and pledged better times ahead. The conflict with the north means this new nation
starts out
as one of the very poorest on the planet.
Speaking in Juba, the northern President Omar al-Bashir congratulated southerners on their new state, and he called on the United States to lift sanctions against his country. James Copnall reports.
President Omar al-Bashir told a crowd of tens of thousands and visiting heads of state from around the world that Sudan had