"I declare South Sudan a member of the United Nations," said Joseph Deiss, president of the UN General Assembly, after a vote by acclamation admitted the country as the United Nation's 193rd member.
"Welcome, South Sudan. Welcome to the community of nations," added UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. Those were the words that declared the world’s newest nation as an official member of the United Nations.
Due to the almost 50-year civil war between the north and south, South Sudan split from northern Sudan after the southerners voted almost unanimously to split from the rest of the country.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon acknowledged the country's painful past as he welcomed South Sudan into the club of nations:
"All those who endured the long civil war. All those who lost so many loved ones. All those who left their homes and fled their communities. All those who held fast to hope. Now they have reached an important milestone," he said, "Yes, the task ahead is great, but so, too, is the country's potential.
Various UN member countries gave encouraging words to the newest nation, despite what some believe to be an unsure future for the nation.
Being that one of the first formalities South Sudan did was to apply for membership into the United Nations, the country's future shows strong potential for growth.
Source & Photo: AFP
