ANOTHER milestone was reached in the continent's history yesterday as the African Union (AU) formally admitted South Sudan as its 54th member state.
It was at a ceremony held at the premises of the African Union Commission (AUC) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
During the event attended by AU Commission Chairperson, Jean Ping, Republic of South Sudan President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salva Kiir Mayardit and Deng Alor Kuol, members of the Diplomatic Corps and other dignitaries, the new country's flag was raised to flutter along with others at the organisation's headquarters.
"We note with satisfaction that the birth of the new nation was as a result of a peaceful referendum carefully mid-wifed by two great African Statesmen, Salva Kiir and Oumar Hassen El Bashir," Ping said while declaring the official admission of the South Sudan as the 54th member state of the Union.
President Kiir said: "Our flag has now been raised high both in New York at the UN and today in the capital of the African Union."
The AUC received on July 26, 2011, the requisite number of member states affirmation consenting to the admission of South Sudan to the Union is in conformity with the provisions of Article 29 of the Constitutive Act relating to its membership.
South Sudan became an independent state after a referendum on July 9, 2011. The referendum was included in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005 by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the Khartoum Government.
The provisions of the CPA include the sharing of oil revenues and the right to self-determination for the people of South Sudan.
The Guardian