Pete Muller / AP Photo
Jubilant street parties celebrating the birth of South Sudan began at midnight Saturday as citizens awaited the arrival of international dignitaries for an independence ceremony. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell, and many other leaders on the world stage attended the ceremony, as thousands of citizens swarmed the capital to watch the raising of the country's new flag. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Sudan's western region of Darfur, received a mixed welcome in Juba, as activists from the embattled region held up signs saying, "Bashir is wanted dead or alive." South Sudan will be officially recognized by the U.N. as the 193rd country next week.