African ambassadors at the United Nations, on Thursday, welcomed the 54th African State – South Sudan to the family of nations, during the adoption of the UN resolution admitting the new nation as the 193rd UN Member State.

Speaking as the Chair of the African Group at the UN General Assembly, Rwanda’s permanent representative to the UN, Eugène-Richard Gasana, congratulated the new state and observed that the independence of South Sudan is a lesson for the UN.

"The people of South Sudan have demonstrated courage and resilience over decades of civil war and bloody struggle, and I commend them for the responsibility they showed in massively and peacefully participating in the referendum for their self-determination.”

The referendum that saw the south secede from the north took place in January.

"After decades of pain, after two and half million martyrs for independence, we are now celebrating the birth of a nation, the sunshine for a people and smile for younger generations,” he underscored.

One of Africa’s longest civil wars was put to an end after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, between the north and the south.

This slowly paved way for the "successful” organisation of a transparent referendum last year.

Nonetheless, Gasana reminded the assembly that the new state faces enormous challenges ahead.

"The scars of the civil war are still palpable, and the community of nations has the duty to support its new born in securing and consolidating peace, creating a democratic state and achieving development by reducing poverty, building infrastructure and putting the country on the right track of prosperity.

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