South Sudan marks first anniversary

Juba, 09 Jul – (ANA) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has said the world's newest country needs to be "independent economically" in his speech to mark the first anniversary of its independence. Thousands of people danced and waved flags during official celebrations in the capital, Juba, correspondents say. Mr Kiir told the crowd: "We still depend on others. Our liberty today is incomplete. We must be more than liberated. We have to be independent economically." The official celebrations saw a military parade, featuring tanks and rocket launchers, while two helicopter flew South Sudan's flag over the heads of the cheering crowds. UN head Ban Ki-moon had been expected but did not attend, reports the AFP news agency. In a speech read on his behalf, Mr Ban said: "A lot has been achieved since independence, but a lot also needs to be done." Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said his country would support South Sudan in its struggle with "the short man from Khartoum" - seen as a reference to Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir. Sudan's leader attended the independence celebrations a year ago but the two neighbours have since fallen out and Mr Kiir said Mr Bashir had declined an invitation, AFP reports. When South Sudan seceded, it took 75% of the country's oil with it. But the pipelines still run through Sudan and the former civil war enemies cannot agree on how much the South should pay in transit fees.

The dispute led South Sudan to cut off all oil exports, triggering a collapse in government revenues and tough austerity measures. (ANA)

FA/ANA/09 July 2012-----------