[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10715]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN ON THEIR DECLARATION OF 
                              INDEPENDENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SCOTT GARRETT

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 8, 2011

  Mr. GARRETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Republic of 
South Sudan and their declaration of formal independence on July 9, 
2011. Six months ago, the people of Southern Sudan spoke clearly when 
nearly 99 percent of the voters declared independence from the 
repressive government in Khartoum. While this is a historic moment for 
southern Sudan and its people, this nation faces great challenges in 
the infancy of its sovereignty.
  For the Republic of South Sudan to prosper, a number of challenges 
must be overcome. Foremost, the country must determine questions as 
fundamental as citizenship rights and the location of borders with 
neighboring nations. Additionally, Southern Sudan must establish peace 
and security within its borders in order to sustain meaningful growth. 
North Sudanese governmental support for attacks on Southern Sudan have 
killed more than 1,000 civilians, and have displaced hundreds of 
thousands of men, women and children over the past year and a half. 
Simply put, these attacks must cease.
  In terms of the economy, international agreements regarding Southern 
Sudan's debts must be negotiated, as well as the development of an 
infrastructure to allow for the efficient export of oil. However, even 
in these challenging and uncertain times, this young nation has 
demonstrated a commitment to improve the lives of its citizens. 
Recently, we have observed marked increases in commerce and trade, both 
domestically and internationally, thanks to the government's continued 
development of modern infrastructure. The ruling government has reached 
out to opposition groups within Southern Sudan in an honest effort to 
maintain national unity throughout this momentous process. While there 
are still hurdles to be overcome, today I recognize and congratulate 
the Sudanese people for their significant accomplishments in having 
reached this momentous occasion.

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