July 4 (Reuters) - South Sudan is due to declare independence from the north 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 on the way to statehood and some details of what will happen on independence day:
THE PEACE DEAL
* North and south Sudan fought each other for all but a few years from 1955 to 2005 in a civil war fuelled by ethnicity, religion, ideology and oil. The violence claimed an estimated 2 million lives, forced 4 million to flee and destabilised much of the region.
* The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement promised a referendum six years later, giving southerners a choice between staying united with the north or breaking away and forming their own nation. In January, more than 98 percent of southern voters chose to secede.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
* At midnight on the night of July 8, bells and drums will mark the birth of the Republic of South Sudan, say organisers.
* An independence ceremony will be held at the Garang Memorial site in the capital Juba, the burial place of former southern leader and rebel hero John Garang, who signed the peace deal with Khartoum.
* A "Proclamation of the Independence of South Sudan" will be read out by southern parliament speaker James Wani Igga at 11:45 a.m. (0845 GMT), according to the schedule. Minutes later Sudan's national flag will be lowered and the new flag of South Sudan will be raised.
* Just after noon, according to the timetable, Kiir will sign South Sudan's new transitional constitution into law. He is due to be sworn in for a four-year term as president of South Sudan at 12:15 p.m.
* There will be a performance of the new South Sudan national anthem, chosen from 49 entries by musicians, poets and academics. The lyrics and a recording of the song are published on the southern government's website http://www.goss.org/ .
* The southern government says about 3,500 guests -- including kings, chiefs, southern elders from the south's 10 states and more than 30 African heads of state -- will attend. They have promised speeches from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, southern President Salva Kiir and Sudan's President, the future leader of north Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
Bashir's presence would be an important signal of the north's future good intentions to the south. But it might also be an embarrassment to some dignitaries. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for him, to face charges of war crimes in the separate Darfur conflict.
* Thousands are expected to take to the streets of the new capital, and similar celebrations will be held in all the south's 10 states. More than 1,500 soldiers, police, firefighters and prison and wildlife service officials will march through Juba as southern army helicopters fly overhead.
* South Sudan's new national soccer team will take on Kenya on July 10. The south's basketball team will play Uganda on July 11.
NEW INTERNATIONAL STATUS
* The south will become the 54th country in Africa, excluding contested territories such as Western Sahara and Somaliland. Southern government officials say they will become the 193rd member of the United Nations.
* South Sudan plans to open 34 embassies and consulates around the world and may establish more than 50 over time, officials say. (Reporting by Jeremy Clarke in Juba, Editing by Andrew Heavens and Jason Neely)
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