Five heads of state confirmed for South Sudan’s 2nd independence anniversary

July 3, 2013 (JUBA) – South Sudan announced on Wednesday that at least five heads of state will attend the nation’s second independence anniversary on 9 July, following the country’s secession from Sudan in 2011.

Abdon Agau, the secretary general of the government told a news briefing on Wednesday that five presidents – Uganda’s Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, Rwanda’s Paul Kigame, Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Botswana’s Ian Khama – would attend the celebrations in Juba.

Ethiopian prime minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, whose country has hosted post-separation negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan will also attend the event.

The official also added that the Juba government hopes that Sudan will be represented at the event despite Khartoum not responding to the invitation sent by organising committee.

Sudan was the first country to recognise South Sudan’s independence and president Omer Al Bashir attended the celebrations on 9 July 2011. However, since the relations between Khartoum and Juba have plummeted over a host of unresolved issues, including oil, security, border demarcation and disputed areas such as Abyei.

Bashir was invited but did not attend the event last year. He did visit this April after the signing of Implementation Matrix for the 27 September 2012 cooperation agreements between the two countries. but last month he threatened to block the export of Southern crude through the north, accusing Juba of backing rebels north of the border.

Agau, who is heading the organising committee said preparations were underway to get the venue ready for the celebrations.

South Sudanese voted overwhelmingly in favour of secession in a referendum held in January 2011, and the world’s newest nation, after its independence in July of the same year, quickly became the 193rd member of the United Nations and 54th member of the African Union.

The joy of independence has been tempered over the last years by internal conflicts, corruption, tensions with Sudan and increasing attacks on the press.

Last month a think tank placed South Sudan fourth on its annual list of failed states, a ranking that has been disputed by the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) – the former rebels who have governed in Juba since 2005.

Reacting to the report a leading SPLM member said that it was “unfair” to compare the two-year-old nation “with countries which have had their independence thirty or fifty years ago”.

(ST)

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