The birth of a new nation is a rare event – and not an event I was willing to miss this year, given my geographical proximity; Juba was just a (relatively) short 15-hour overnight bus ride away from a conference on forced migration I had attended in Kampala earlier in the week. Bus ticket and passport in hand, I managed to secure a visa at the border, managed to meet up with a few other intrepid travellers and managed to find reasonable local accommodation in a city where hotels were fully booked up with visiting dignitaries.

The weather was intense (at least for someone who had acclimated to the cold of Nairobi), but the air was charged with an energy and excitement that made the heat bearable. In the days leading up to the independence celebrations, people piled into the city – Sudanese from throughout the south, Sudanese returning home to celebrate after settling in other countries, fellow East Africans, aid workers, official delegations, plenty of soldiers and a handful of interested supporters like myself.

Celebrations commenced officially at midnight Friday night, 9^th July 2011. A digital countdown clock in the city centre served as one local gathering point for revelers. Even though the clock itself was not functioning, celebrations continued all the same; truckloads filled to overflowing with Sudanese bearing flags, blowing horns, blaring the new national anthem, and shouting “South Sudan Oyee!” circled around the roundabout repeatedly, keeping the excitement level high. On Saturday morning, tens of thousands of onlookers gathered in the stadium where independence celebrations were to be held, where President Omar al-Bashir would officially hand over the reins of government to South Sudan’s leadership. The numbers apparently exceeded the event planners’ expectations and the start of the ceremony was delayed several hours as soldiers and officers in the stands gave up their seats for unanticipated visiting dignitaries.

The heat was oppressive. I stood in a massive crowd next to the stands, and ambulances came twice to carry away Sudanese women who had fainted. Still, the mood remained elated, and choruses of “South Sudan Oyee! John Garang Oyee!” were repeated as paper South Sudanese flags were waved high in the air. The ceremony began, a military parade came through the stadium and speeches were given. The most emotional moment happened as the Sudanese flag was lowered and a giant South Sudanese flag was raised. Everyone sang the new national anthem together and many people wept.

The promise of South Sudan as a new nation is great but its independence comes during a time of continued difficulty for the young nation. With conflict among various rebel groups ongoing in most of its states, disputes and violence continuing in regions like Abyei and Southern Kordofan and extreme poverty affecting most of the population, the government certainly has its work cut out. Decades of civil war caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Sudanese (the formerly united country boasts a population of four million IDPs, and more than 400,000 Sudanese live as refugees outside the country). Since the peace agreement in 2005, some two million IDPS and 350,000 refugees have returned to South Sudan – but even when the return was accompanied by UNHCR repatriation assistance, building a new life has been no easy task for most.

Many Sudanese outside the country have been waiting to see how the January referendum and subsequent independence will work out for the country, before committing to the idea of return. Giving up one’s refugee status by choosing to voluntarily return to one’s country of origin is a big decision, since it results in the loss of protection (as well as the provision of certain basic services) specifically afforded to refugees. It seems that many have already begun the transition, though. I spoke with several young, educated men who have been living in Kenya, Uganda, or even the United States and they have begun the process of returning to South Sudan so that they can contribute their skills to building the country. I was impressed by their dedication. After having built lives for themselves outside of Sudan, their commitment to the idea of home is overwhelming and they have returned to Juba knowing that the path ahead of them will be full of obstacles and frustrations. These men and women will build the future of South Sudan, a country that needs all the support it can get. Fortunately, the idea of home is strong enough for them to make the risk of return worth it. And after seeing the enthusiasm and determination of all those present at the country’s independence, I am confident that their sacrifice will not go unrewarded.

by Wendy Crompton