1. Tilt up, from feet to soldiers marching
2. Close up, boots marching
3. Med shot, soldiers marching
4. Wide shot, soldiers marching past the John Garang Mausoleum
5. Med shot, more of march
6. Wide shot, soldiers marching past the salute
7. Close up, South Sudan flag
8. Med shot, security officials saluting
9. Wide shot, injured SPLA soldiers at the parade
10. Med shot, injured soldiers marching with crutches
11. Wide shot, people watching
12. Close up, Sudan flag being lowered
13. Wide shot, South Sudan flag being raised
14. Med shot, flag of the new nation raised
15. Close up, flags
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Barnaba Benjamin Marial, Southern Sudan Minister of Information
“The flag will be raised and the Sudanese flag will be brought down and we will equally, there will be off cause the signing of the constitution, the transitional Constitution by the president and then the president will take an oath as the first president of the Republic of south Sudan. President Bashir is expected to make his statement finally as the president of the Republic of the Sudan with his national anthem playing for the last time in southern Sudan, and then our president will speak finally.”
17. Wide shot, people singing the new national Anthem
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Aken Santo Deng, Student:
“I am very happy today, that day I can not sleep, I will sleep on the streets here I can not go home because we have been waiting for so long, so many years and we lost many people, so this day is a very important day for us southern Sudanese, I am very happy today.”
19. Med shot, men with hands across their chests singing
20. SOUNDBITE (Dinka) Elizabeth Yaar, Southern Sudanese Citizen:
“I have prepared myself today, I want to come and perform our traditional dance at the mausoleum where the flag will be raised. I want the world to see out traditional dance.”
21. Various shots, dancers
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Malong, Southern Sudanese Citizen:
“The best day of my nation and I will remember him forever and ever and I can leave it to my children.”
23. Med shot, soldiers marching
24. Wide shot, parade

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Storyline

Thousands of Juba residents today (5 July) witnessed the last rehearsal parade ahead of Southern Sudan’s independence celebrations.

The colorful parade consisted officers from the security organs, including the army, police, prisons, wildlife service and fire brigade. School children and members of the civil service also joined in the march through the streets of Juba to the Dr. John Garang mausoleum, the venue of the upcoming 9 July independence celebration.

There was a flag raising exercise where Sudan’s flag was lowered and the new flag of the Republic of South Sudan was raised. The new nation’s national anthem was played with a twenty one gun salute.

SOUNDBITE (English) Barnaba Benjamin Marial, Southern Sudan Minister of Information
“The flag will be raised and the Sudanese flag will be brought down and we will equally, there will be off cause the signing of the constitution, the transitional Constitution by the president and then the president will take an oath as the first president of the Republic of south Sudan. President Bashir is expected to make his statement finally as the president of the Republic of the Sudan with his national anthem playing for the last time in southern Sudan, and then our president will speak finally.”

Emotions were high at the celebrations grounds with people expressing their happiness by ululating and others by beating their drums and dancing. Aken said that he is so excited and he feels independence is already around.

SOUNDBITE (English) Aken Santo Deng, Student:
“I am very happy today, that day I can not sleep, I will sleep on the streets here I can not go home because we have been waiting for so long, so many years and we lost many people, so this day is a very important day for us southern Sudanese, I am very happy today.”

SOUNDBITE (Dinka) Elizabeth Yaar, Southern Sudanese Citizen:
“I have prepared myself today, I want to come and perform our traditional dance at the mausoleum where the flag will be raised. I want the world to see out traditional dance.”

SOUNDBITE (English) Paul Malong, Southern Sudanese Citizen:
“The best day of my nation and I will remember him forever and ever and I can leave it to my children.”

The celebration is slated to start at midnight on Friday 8 July. Church bells and drums will sound marking the historical transition from Southern Sudan to the Republic of South Sudan.

Around 3,500 dignitaries are expected from all around the world for the Independence Day event.

Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan Al-Bashir and UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon will be among the speakers.