South Sudan Becomes 193rd Member of the United Nations

The UN General Assembly approved the Security Council's recommendation for South Sudan's UN membership this morning, making it the 193rd member state.

This is the latest development in a string of celebrations for the world's newest nation. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, along with other foreign diplomats, was on hand last Saturday in the capital city of Juba to usher in the festivities, including their first national soccer game. In the clip below, we see the South Sudanese proudly singing their national anthem right before the game. The South Sudanese spirit showed no signs of defeat despite a loss of 3-1 in the friendly match against Kenya's Tusker FC. After all, there is so much more to celebrate: freedom.

This is an undeniably joyous moment for South Sudan, but now the focus turns to creating a stable government alongside Sudan. The two countries must come to agreement regarding borders, citizenship issues, and disputes over the oil-rich Abyei region. In her remarks at a Security Council debate on July 13th, Susan Rice, the United States representative to the United Nations, emphasized that the founding of South Sudan is a crucial turning point in bringing peace to the region. She described the challenges as "great, but by no means insurmountable" and offered reassurance that "The Security Council has done its utmost to support this process, and this council and my government will remain deeply engaged in supporting the Republic of South Sudan at this critical junction and into the future."

Ferris Salameh, YouTube Policy team, recently watched Ambassador Rice Delivers Remarks at South Sudan Independence Ceremony