July 1 (Reuters)- The Republic of South Sudan will be founded on July 9, the climax of an internationally brokered peace process that ended decades of civil war between north and south Sudan.
Here are some facts about the steps to statehood:
THE PEACE DEAL
* North and south Sudan fought each other for all but a few years from 1955 to 2005, over ethnicity, religion, ideology and oil. The war claimed 2 million lives and destabilised much of the region.
* A 2005 peace deal guaranteed a referendum six years later, when southerners would choose whether to stay part of Sudan or break off and form their own nation. In January southerners chose to secede by more than 98 percent of the vote.
* The peace agreement expires on July 9, the day the new nation will declare its independence.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
* An independence ceremony will be held at the Garang Memorial site in the capital Juba, where former southern leader and rebel hero John Garang, who signed the peace deal with northern President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, is interred.
* The Independence Day celebrations will include raising the new South Sudan flag and singing the new national anthem, which is being taught to southerners in Juba.
* The southern government says more than 30 heads of state from Africa and around the world will attend. Bashir has been invited, according to southern officials. A confirmed list of attendees is not yet available.
* Thousands are expected to take to the streets of the new capital, and similar celebrations will be held in all the south&${esc.hash}39;s 10 states.
* Southern President Salva Kiir will be sworn in during celebrations for a four-year term. The Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly will be reconstituted by the president as the National Legislative Assembly.
* A new "transitional constitution" will come into effect on July 9, subject to final approval by the parliament. A number of cosmetic changes have been made to the current charter, such as removing references to a unity government. A series a new powers have also been granted to the president.
NEW INTERNATIONAL STATUS
* South Sudan will become the 196th country in the world, the 193rd member of the UN, and the 55th country in Africa, according to the southern government.
* It will open 34 embassies and consulates around the world, and may establish more than 50 over time, officials say.
((Reporting by Jeremy Clarke in Juba, Khartoum newsroom, ulf.laessing@thomsonreuters.com) (Edited by Richard Meares)
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