Welcoming South Sudan

UPDATED: It's past midnight in Juba and South Sudan is celebrating.

 I blogged earlier in the week about the imminent independence of South Sudan, but before I disappear for the weekend I should note that as the clocks tick toward midnight in Sudan, tomorrow is the day the separation becomes official.

The division has been a long time coming, and how the two parts of Sudan will coexist over time remains to be seen. The experience of Eritrea and Ethiopia is not encouraging. But the celebrations in Juba tomorrow will be joyous. Qadhafi's Libya and Iran have said they won't recognize the new state, but Egypt, though nervous about having a new state to negotiate with on Nile water rights, will.