The Republic of South Sudan's Declaration of Independence

* Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in recognition and support of Republic of South Sudan which will tomorrow become Africa's 54th country. As a co-chair of the House Sudan Caucus, I am grateful for the accomplishment of this successful milestone in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement process that has ended Sudan's 22-year civil war. In the past two decades, this civil war and famine took the lives of approximately two million people in Sudan.

* The ability for South Sudan to declare for itself its own country is a testament to what can be achieved when a unified international community made of nation states, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations all come together to foster peace and assist in the resolution of difference between peoples.

* Yet, the people of South Sudan still face many challenges. There is more infrastructure to be built, governmental processes to be developed, and a new currency to be established. There are also unsettled issues with its neighbor, the Republic of Sudan, such as ending violence and suffering in Darfur, a long-term oil revenue sharing agreement, border demarcation, fair distribution of debts, and establishing the qualifications for citizenship.

* Tomorrow, we will celebrate the birth of a new nation. However, with this tremendous event should come a renewed commitment from the world to preserve peace and cultivate a bright and stable future for the South Sudanese people.

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