A man waves the South Sudan flag, in central juba, during celebrations for the independence of South Sudan.
A security personal takes guard of the red carpet laid to receive international delegates attending the official ceremony marking South Sudan as an independent nation.
A crowd gathers around the unveiled statue of John Garang de Mabior, the historical leader of Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) during the second sudanese civil war, ahead of the official ceremony marking South Sudan as an independent nation.
A picture of South Sudan President Salva Kirr is seen in a door of a house in a neighbourhood of Juba, the capital city of South Sudan.
A local man casts the net during an early morning fishing session at the River Nile in Juba, South Sudan.
A man points instructions to the crew of a barge carrying hundreds of South Sudanese arriving in Juba ahead of the referendum for independence of South Sudan.
An elections monitor from the African Union, watches the counting of the votes of the referendum for independence of South Sudan, at a polling station in central Juba.
A group of South Sudanese, newly arrived from Khartoum, take guard of their belongings piled on the shores of the river Nile in Juba, as they await for international aid organisations to assist with their relocation somewhere in South Sudan.
A priest addresses an audience of voters outside a polling station in central Juba, ahead of the seven day referendum for the independence of Southern Sudan.
SPLA soldiers walk by civilians fleeing combats between the South Sudan military and the neighbouring Sudan over the control of oil fields in a disputed border area near Bentiu.
A group of SPLA commanders stand for the national anthem during a mock parade in preparation for the official ceremony marking the independence of South Sudan.
A South Sudanese woman poses with the national flag during a mock parade in preparation for independence day in central Juba.
A woman and a child await relatives coming from Khartoum to vote in the referendum for independence of South Sudan. Thousands of South Sudanese families left the north in direction to the south in the hope to start a new life in the new country.
Southern Sudanese celebrate the first hours of independence in the streets of Juba.
Military band members rehearse for the ceremony marking South Sudan as an independent nation.
Southern Sudan referendum for independence
A South Sudanese man attends mass at a church in central Juba, hours after South Sudan was officially declared an independent nation.
A barge carrying around 400 south sudanese men and women arrives at Juba port the day before the referendum for independence of South Sudan.
A child inmate is seen walking inside a communal cell at Juba Central Prison. The prison accommodates dozens of inmates with ages between fourteen and eighteen years old, many charged with murder and theft.
An SPLA soldier stands for a portrait at the frontline in South Sudan's Bentiu region during the conflict with the neighbouring Sudan over the control of oil fields in a disputed border area.
Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) commanders talk to journalists, in a military base outside Bentiu in South Sudan, during the conflict with the neighbouring Sudan over the control of oil fields in a disputed border area.
An inmate at the yard area in Juba Central Prison.
Southern Sudan referendum for independence
An election observer watches the counting of the referendum votes for independence of South Sudan.
Southern Sudanese celebrate the first hours of independence in the streets of Juba.
A man carrying a drum and a stick takes part in the celebrations, in central Juba, marking the first hours of South Sudan as an independent nation.
Religious women take part in a praying session, in central Juba, ahead of the official ceremony marking South Sudan as an independent nation.
A group of child inmates gather in the juvenil patio area of Juba Central Prison. The prison accommodates dozens of inmates with ages between fourteen and eighteen years old, many charged with murder and theft.
April 24, 2012 - Lalop, South Sudan: A group of SPLA soldiers rest at the newly established military base in the village o Lalop, 50 kilometers north of Bentiu...South Sudan and their northern neighbors, Sudan, have in the past two weeks been involved in heavily clashes over border disputes. Bentiu and neighboring villages have been under constant bombardment by the troops os Karthoum , who established their positions around 10 kilometers into South Sudan's territory. The international community is concerned about the possibility of a full on war between the two countries.
A group of SPLA soldiers prepares mortar shells at the last defensive line, outside the village of Panakuach, north of Bentiu, during combats between South Sudan military and the neighbouring Sudan over the control of oil fields in a disputed border area.
Local women pass by burning rubbish outside some shacks in central Juba, South Sudan.
A orphan child walks by the main yard of the Orphanage Home of Juba, a shelter build for children who lost their parents during the war.
A young South Sudanese, recently arrived in Juba after years living in Khartoum, found himself stranded around Juba port awaiting aid and relocation by International NGOs.
Southern Sudanese celebrate the first hours of independence in the streets of Juba.
