Tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital of South Sudan for celebrations marking the independence of the new nation.
Southern Sudan officially became the newest country in the world at midnight Friday local time. Residents of the capital, Juba, celebrated with parties in the streets.
A huge crowd is now assembled in a stadium in Juba for the formal declaration of independence.
Speakers expected at the event include the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the president of northern Sudan, Omar al-Bashir. Bashir flew into Juba on Saturday.
Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to split from the north in a referendum in January. The vote stems from a 2005 peace agreement that ended Sudan of two decades of civil war.
Already, in southern Sudan has been recognized by its northern neighbor. Sudanese Minister of Presidential Affairs, Bakri Hassan Saleh, made the announcement official on Friday on state television.
The ceremonies will include a Saturday in Juba Declaration of Independence, raising the new flag of South Sudan, and the inauguration of the first President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir.
The celebration takes place at the mausoleum of John Garang - named after the leader of southern Sudanese forces during the long civil war. Garang died in a helicopter crash in 2005.
Saturday's festivities belied the challenges of the new nation will soon face.
Southern Sudan is still trying to unravel the northeast, and both sides have yet to solve the problems of borders and oil revenues. Sudanese army is currently fighting Southern Sudanese elements in the state-controlled north of southern Kordofan.
On Friday, the Security Council approved a new peacekeeping force for southern Sudan. The force will have up to 7,000 troops and 900 civilian police.
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