The United Nations Security Council has recommended U.N. membership for South Sudan, which became independent this past Saturday. The U.N. General Assembly is expected to give final approval on Thursday.
Without a vote, the 15-member Security Council approved a resolution Wednesday recommending U.N. membership for South Sudan. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Council that like any newborn, South Sudan needs help. He mentioned the U.N. mission in Darfur, the withdrawal of the U.N.’s mission in Sudan, the deployment of peacekeepers in the Abyei border area and the situation in Sudan's Southern Kordofan region, which he called deeply troubling.
“Resolving these tensions is absolutely vital," said Ban. "A viable south will need a viable north - and vice versa. Together, south and north must face their common future as partners, not rivals.”
Comments in the Security Council from spokesmen for both the new South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan emphasized the partnership and not the rivalry. South Sudan’s vice president, Riek Machar, expressed South Sudan’s profound gratitude for the Security Council’s action.
“It is our deepest and most sincere wish to resolve all outstanding matters between north and south swiftly and peacefully," said Machar. "We remain committed to working out our differences through dialogue and in a spirit of cooperation.”
Machar said the two sides must agree on mechanisms for continued cooperation and agreement on disputed border areas and the final status of the oil-rich Abyei area. He said South Sudan will continue to work with Sudan to insure there is justice for the people of Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile
