Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has praised Sudan for delivering a peaceful and credible referendum.
In a statement on Wednesday, Zuma said the acceptance of the results by parties involved is an expression of willingness to support and conclude all necessary procedures to ensure the establishment of an independent, viable state of South Sudan.
"The acceptance of the results by President Omar Al-Bashir demonstrates the strong political will for peace that exists among the leadership in the Sudan and sets the foundation for a harmonious co-existence between the people of North and South Sudan," said Zuma.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir formally accepted the secession results.
After a six-year transitional period following two decades of brutal civil war, close to four million southern Sudanese went to the polls from 9 - 15 January to cast their vote for unity or secession.
With 98.83 percent of all voters choosing independence, South Sudan will officially be able to declare independence on 9 July.
The referendum marks the final phase of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which concluded 20 years of war between the northern-based government in Khartoum and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) in the south - a war that reportedly claimed the lives of some two million people and left millions more displaced.
Zuma said South Africa stands ready to recognise and welcome the new state of South Sudan to the community of nations in July 2011 and will continue to strengthen its relations with the people of North Sudan and South Sudan.
He said the projects that South Africa has launched in Sudan since the signing of the CPA in 2005 will continue and shall be enhanced where necessary to support ongoing peace and good neighbourliness between North Sudan and South Sudan.
South Africa is encouraged by the commitments of the parties to the CPA to speedily deal with the outstanding post-referendum issues such as the referendum for Abyei, border demarcation, natural resources and economic issues, citizenship, security and other issues as they have promised.
In this regard South Africa is in full support of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, led by former President Thabo Mbeki, in facilitating the negotiations between the parties on the post-referendum issues.
