Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice,
U.S. Permanent Representative to the
United Nations,
At a Ceremony Marking the Independence
of South Sudan
Juba, South Sudan
July 9, 2011
Ladies and gentlemen,
distinguished guests, President Kiir—
I am honored to represent the
United States at this hour of celebration. It is my particular privilege to
lead such a distinguished, bipartisan U.S. delegation—including former
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on
behalf of the United States; Representative Donald Payne, who has done so much
in the U.S. Congress to support the birth of your state; and Ambassador
Princeton Lyman, who continues to work tirelessly in the cause of peace.
On behalf of President Obama, my fellow
delegates, the U.S. government, and the American people, we warmly welcome the
Republic of South Sudan to the community of sovereign nations.
Today is a day of celebration
for all South Sudanese, and a day of triumph for all who cherish the rights of
all people to govern themselves in liberty and law.
My country too was born amid
struggle and strife on a July day. On this day, the world’s oldest democracy welcomes
the world’s newest state.
As we do so, we salute those
who did not live to see this moment—from leaders such as Dr. John Garang to the ordinary citizens who rest in unmarked graves.
We cannot bring them back. But we can honor their memory by working together to
build South Sudan into a country worthy of their sacrifice.
No citizen of South Sudan should
ever take their independence for granted. You have waged a righteous struggle
to win your liberty and chart your own course among the community of nations. Let
that always serve as a reminder to lift up those who are denied their rights,
those who hunger for freedom, and those who suffer in places where hope seems
to be forgotten.
For South Sudan, independence
is not a gift that you were given. Independence is a prize that you have won.
Yet even on this day of
jubilee, we remain mindful of the challenges that await us tomorrow. No true
friend would offer false comfort. The path ahead will be steep and pitted. But
the Republic of South Sudan is being born amid great hopes—the hope that
you will guarantee the rights of all citizens, shelter the vulnerable, and
bring prosperity to all corners of your land; the hope that you will be able to
live in peace and justice with your neighbors, bind up the wounds of war, and work
with the Government of Sudan to resolve swiftly and peacefully all outstanding
issues in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
All of this will demand
leadership and accountability. For democracy and development rest on the
foundation of good governance. Peace and prosperity rest on the foundation of
strong institutions devoted to the public interest. Law and justice rest on the
foundation of a political system free of corruption and fraud. And education and
public health rest on the foundation of a government dedicated to the
well-being of all rather than the interests of a few. The same self-reliance that won your freedom can now move you from
independence and self-determination to opportunity and democracy. South Sudan’s
leaders, and the citizens who hold them accountable, now have the chance to
create a state that stands out not for its flag or its currency but for the
investments it makes in the development of its people.
As you turn to the task of
building your newborn nation, you can draw strength from a well that never runs
dry: you, the people of South Sudan. Over the course of a week in January, millions
of men and women lined up peacefully and joyfully to cast their ballots, from
dusty village lanes to the main streets of Juba. You reminded us again of two
mighty truths: few forces on Earth are more powerful than a citizenry tempered
by struggle and united in sacrifice. And every problem created by human folly
can be met by human wisdom and mended by human resolve.
In the words of President
Obama, “today is a reminder that after the darkness of war, a new day is
possible.”
Friends, colleagues, citizens
of the world’s newest nation—know that the people of the Republic of South
Sudan have a true and lasting friend and partner in the people of the United
States of America as you work to strengthen the foundations of your democracy,
promote human rights, and expand economic growth. Our support for the cause of
peace for the Sudanese people has long been bipartisan and deep, and it will
continue to be. We helped broker the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that led us here
today, and we will continue to watch over it—and the future to come.
We do so, in part, because of
our own history. As my country learned, a nation born from conflict need not
live in conflict. My government will stand with you as you build up the
institutions that enshrine your liberty. We will stand with you as you write a
constitution for all South Sudanese. We will stand by you as you forge the
conditions for lasting peace, prosperity, and justice. And we will work with
you as you shoulder the obligations of a full and responsible member of the
international community.
The task is great. The
responsibility is yours. But so long as you seek a more perfect union, you will
never be alone.
Thank you, and may God bless you all—and may He shine down upon your glorious
independence day.