Sudan was the first country to recognize the Republic of South Sudan.
Vice President Riek Machar Teny told the crowd gathered in Juba to welcome the independence that last night President Omar Hassan al-Bashir authorized the recognition of South Sudan as an independent state.Minister of the Office of the President, Bakr Hassan Salleh, announced the recognition.
Today, other heads of state, including the president of Kenya Mwai Kibaki and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, together with the European Union recognized South Sudan as independent state.