United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Saturday that South Sudan can count on the solidarity of the world community as the country becomes the world's newest independent nation, DPA reported.
The time is a "very emotional and exciting" moment for the people in South Sudan, Ban said in an interview with the German Press Agency dpa, declaring it a "new beginning."
He is planning to call an international donor conference for South Sudan, but Ban also warned that the government of the new country must act responsibly.
The UN is prepared to offer help with the infrastructure and economy, and with institutions for the rule of law and protecting of human rights, Ban said.
The growing conflict in Abyei, a border region with the north, needed a permanent political solution, the UN chief cautioned.