The African Union has admitted the newly independent nation of South Sudan as its 54th member.
The AU says it has received the required number of votes supporting the South Sudan's admission to the Pan-African body.
South Sudan gained its independence on July 9 following a referendum that was part of a peace deal that ended a bloody 21-year civil war with the north.
It became an official member of the United Nations on July 14.
South Sudan and its northern neighbor, Sudan, are still trying to work out disputes over borders and oil revenue.
Representatives from the two countries are expected to resume AU-mediated talks in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, next week.
