Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered in the capital Juba on Saturday, July 9, 2011 as their new country formally declared its independence, a hard-won separation from the north that also plunged the fractured region into a new period of uncertainty.

See the wild photos of the celebration of South Sudan Independence Day!

People celebrate South Sudan039s independence day
People celebrate South Sudan's independence day in Juba July 9, 2011. REUTERS
People dance on a car during South Sudan039s independence day celebrations
People dance on a car during South Sudan's independence day celebrations in Juba July 9, 2011. REUTERS
South Sudanese celebrate South Sudan039s independence day
South Sudanese celebrate South Sudan's independence day in Juba July 9, 2011. REUTERS
Supporters of the Platform of Peace and Justice
Supporters of the Platform of Peace and Justice with the Sudanese flag celebrate the secession of Southern Sudan in Khartoum July 9, 2011. South Sudan splits away from the north on July 9 to create Africa's newest nation after southerners voted for secession under terms of a peace deal reached in 2005 to end a north-south civil war. REUTERS
Woman dance during the Independence Day ceremony
Woman dance during the Independence Day ceremony in Juba July 9, 2011. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered as their new country formally declared its independence on Saturday, a hard-won separation from the north that also plunged the fractured region into a new period of uncertainty. REUTERS
Wounded Sudan People039s Liberation Army SPLA veterans039 march
Wounded Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) veterans march during Independence Day ceremony in Juba July 9, 2011. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered as their new country formally declared its independence on Saturday, a hard-won separation from the north that also plunged the fractured region into a new period of uncertainty. REUTERS
A tribeswoman takes part in Independence Day celebrations in Juba
A tribeswoman takes part in Independence Day celebrations in Juba July 9, 2011. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese danced and cheered as their new country formally declared its independence on Saturday, a hard-won separation from the north that also plunged the fractured region into a new period of uncertainty. REUTERS
Sudan Sudan