Prime Minister Bernard Makuza will, today, represent President Paul Kagame at the celebrations to mark the independence of the world’s newest nation, South Sudan.

South Sudan officially breaks away from the North, today, following a successful secession referendum earlier this year.

The Premier will be among the many dignitaries to attend the ceremony in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Residents from the 54th African state were in a jubilant mood yesterday as emotions run high, ahead of the historical break away.

International media has descended on Juba to witness the separation of the protestant dominated south from the majority Arab north.

The separation follows years of civil war waged by the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) against Omar el Bashir’s government.

While fears of violence still linger over the disputed border region of Abyei, the independence of South Sudan from the North has generally been welcomed by economic and political analysts, who say it has been long due.

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