On Saturday July 9, the world welcomed South Sudan to the international community of nations. After 60 years of post-colonial struggle against the Arab and to some extent Islamist north, the people of the new Republic of South Sudan are free. Representing Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the people of Australia, as special envoy to South Sudan, I travelled to Juba, the gritty capitol of the South to participate in the independence celebrations. What I saw there gave me hope. The road to independence has not been easy for Southern Sudan, withstanding five decades of internecine war, which have seen the deaths of more than 2.5 million people and the displacement of more than 5 million refugees.

Over the years, many of us have followed the struggle of the Anya Anya, later the Sudan People’s Liberation Army of the South, against the regime in Khartoum. We know that Omar al-Bashir, the head of Sudan, is under indictment by the International Criminal Court.  In 2005, the now north Sudan and South Sudan signed a Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which led to the end the 40-year civil war.

In October of that year, the autonomous government was formed in Southern Sudan in line with the peace agreement. This followed two years of tension, which saw intense fighting  over the border, oil-rich area of Abyei on the north-south divide near the Nuba Mountains.

In 2008, the leaders of the north and the south reached a deal on the terms of a referendum on independence. To their great credit, in January this year, 98% of the 8.5 million people of Southern Sudan, many of whom are illiterate, simply marked a hand with the word “Separation” on it, voting in favour of independence. This was a vote for freedom, for democracy and for peace. And, interestingly, Australia recorded the largest number of Sudanese diaspora votes outside of the new country.

In June this year, the governments of the north and south signed an accord to demilitarise Abyei and allow in a United Nations force of Ethiopian peacekeepers to the disputed Abeyi border land.  Unfortunately, according to the UN,  since June 5 clashes between the North Sudan government forces and units of the South Sudan army in Southern Kordofan have now led to more than 73,000 people fleeing their homes — so the problem may have started again.

Appearing in his trademark black Texan cowboy hat, President Salva Kiir, spoke to his people at Saturday’s independence celebrations.  President Kiir is the revered successor to legendary South Sudan leader John Garang, who died in 2005 after the CPA was signed and salvation for his people was in sight.  President Kiir made a promise to not leave those who fought with the South to the mercy of Khartoum: “I want to assure the people of Abyei, Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan that we have not forgotten you. When you cry, we cry. When you bleed, we bleed. I pledge to you today that we will find a just peace for all.”

Despite the momentous vote for independence, South Sudan faces enormous obstacles on becoming a new nation. Frankly, South Sudan is one of the most deprived territories on the face of the earth, with worse neglect of public health, education and infrastructure than in East Timor under Portugal and Indonesia.

Only 15% of adults can read and write, more than half the population live on less than 75 cents a day, 47% of people are described as being “food deprived” and the life expectancy at birth is 42.  Despite holding reserves of 6.7 billion barrels of petroleum, South Sudan is largely underdeveloped with only 50 kilometres of paved roads, in a country the size of France.  Before South Sudan’s independence, 470,000 barrels of oil were pumped per day, three-quarters of which came from the south and the border regions. All of the oil flows north, like the Nile, through Khartoum.

Significantly, North Sudan leader Bashir attended the independence ceremony. As The New York Times reported:

Bashir seemed in a magnanimous mood.

“This moment came through peace,” Mr Bashir said. “We must respect it.” He even thanked the United Nations for its hard work and said he wanted to bring peace to Darfur, though he slipped in “Sudan’s unity would have been better”, but “I convinced myself that unity shouldn’t be through war.”

Nonetheless in South Kordafan and in Abyei where the oil is produced, he’s using military pressure and 10 local militias to keep the new country on edge.  Nearly 40% of South Sudan revenue flows to the large military. There are no demobilisation plans, and many believe that an open war with the North is possible.

Australia is already playing a small part assisting South Sudan in nation building.  Prime Minister Gillard and  Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced that Australia would give $16 million of support to South Sudan over two years to deliver basic services such as education, maternal health, sanitation and for support of rural livelihoods.  During 2010-2011 Australia provided $27 million for humanitarian and development purposes in Sudan including $5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross 2011 Sudan Emergency Appeal to provide medical and relief supplies for communities affected by conflict in Sudan, particularly in South Kordofan, Abyei and Blue Nile State.

Despite 2 million lives being lost in the struggle over the past decades, the happy, and indeed positive, mood was inspiring. It was heart-warming to witness the South Sudan people’s belief that the day after tomorrow will be better than the one today.

As President Kiir said at the celebrations: “Never again shall South Sudanese be oppressed for their political beliefs. Never again shall our people be discriminated (against) on account of race and religion. Never again shall we roam the world as sojourners and refuges. We have reclaimed our permanent home given to us by God as our birthright. As we bask in glory of nationhood, I call upon all South Sudanese to put the long and sad history of war, hardship and loss behind them and open a new chapter of peace and reconciliation in our lives.”

We all said “amen” to that.