South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
January 24, 2011 (NAIROBI) – South Sudan has decided to name itself the Republic of South Sudan upon the near-certain declaration of its independence as a result of a referendum vote whose final result is due to be announced mid-February, the region’s officials revealed on Sunday.
A steering committee formed by the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) has been working to decide on a number of issues concerning the attributes of the potential state, including the adoption of an official coat of arms, a national flag and a national anthem.
Benjamin Marial, GoSS’s minister of information and a member of the steering committee, revealed on Sunday in the region’s capital Juba that south Sudan would retain its current name as an independent state, according to a report published on Monday by the New York Times.
“The majority preference is for South Sudan,” he said, adding that the decision was made last week and its official announcement could be made on 14 February to coincide with the announcement of the referendum results.
“We’ve had South Korea, North Korea, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, South Sudan and North Sudan,” Marial said.
Marial said that the committee had discussed a dozen of potential name but finally agreed to adopt the Republic of South Sudan due to the familiarity and convenience of the name.
Among the names discussed, according to the minister, were Azania, Nile Republic, Kush Republic and even Juwama, an acronym for Juba, Wau and Malakal, three major southern cities.
Explaining the rationale of the choice, the minister said “It is the easiest one for the time being; there are already many things with that name. It makes it easy to transform the government.”
But the committee’s decision is not final, Marial said that the committee would refer its decisions to a higher authority for final approval, but later added that he did not expect any resistance.
However, the minister did not slam the door shut in front of future reconsideration of the name.
“But should the people of South Sudan in the future want a new name, they will have that chance,” Marial said.
South Sudan is yet to thrash out a host of post-referendum issues with the north, including security, citizenship, oil and water resources, currency matters, assets and liabilities and international treaties and agreements.
(ST)
Anyang
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
That’s right, no need of name change.S.Sudan Oyeeeeeeee!
Kolnyang youth
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
South Sudan will retain the same name after independent because everybody in South proud of being a Southerner.
Anti-tribalism
$iong mayom
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
This is the right name for our new country. We should not lose the title “Sudan” to Jalaba by calling our new Nation something different like Cush, Nile Republic and so on. South Sudan to qualify for 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Rev John Khamis Kamunde
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
That is a wonderful and wise decision,congratulation.
I was fearing may be our leaders will not listern to the comments of the majority who suported the idea of keeping the original name,may God bless our new nation the republic of SOUTH SUDAN cheers.
Rev Kamunde.
Jague
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
Dear Southerners:
No need to change the name of the new born state, We are Southerners & we are proud of that.
mack waweru
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
I beg to disagree with the Minister and his steering committee for deciding to choose the name “Republic of South Sudan” for the new state. They should have come up with a new name instead of retaining the old geographical location of the Old Sudan for the following reasons.
First, I think all can agree with me that it sounds absurd for us who will be in the south of the new state to be called Southern Sudanese of the South Sudan or its southern location as south of South Sudan.
Secondly, the remaining Old Sudan – North, will have its geographical location called South Sudan- whatever name they will adopt, still they will name it south.
Thirdly, former old South Sudan was a region associated with oppression, wars, disease and poverty and it was named as part of Old Sudan which has done us unforgettable harm. Therefore, we need to start afresh and discard everything that has connection with the Old entity.
Some of our people still say that they are proud to be called “Southern Sudanese. This is total naivety! You just separated and still want to be called part of what you recently abandoned!
Others cite the example of other countries like the Koreans, but mind you that Koreans are one people with one language and religion who were divided as they got themselves caught in early 1950s between the capitalists Western World and Communist Russia. These two countries of South Korea and North Korea can re-unite at anytime. But for us in Old Sudan then, nothing common between us and them in the north, whether culture, religion and language, except some created social attachments, like marriages which require Southerners to convert into Islam.
I suggest that the steering committee should come up an alternative name instead of retaining the old one or allow the citizens to choose the new name in a referendum. There is no need to leave the door open for further options as others suggest which will bring conflicts in the future.
The Suitable name is ” Juba”, the Republic of Juba with its capital “Juba City”. We can be “Jubanese”, or ” Nilotia and we can be called Nilotians.
Otherwise, our leaders have to explain it very clearly why they decided to retain the old name.
Mack Awer Riak
Achol John
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
Fellow citizens,
Republic of South Sudan is the only and final best title suitable to remain unchangeable. All other names that have been aforementioned as senseless and meaningless.
Kim Deng
South Sudan to retain its name as an independent state: report
Garang’s disciples,
Where is your King’s vision you have been disturbing people with all these years?
You went further on your one-sided imagination which base on your King’s vision to call our beloved South Sudan “New Sudan.” Now, where is the “New Sudan,” your King was claiming about before he went to hell along with his poor “New Sudan?”
Shame on you all!!!!!!!!!!!!