The United States will recognise south Sudan as a "sovereign, independent" state in July, President Barack Obama said on Monday, with the territory well on track to become the world's newest nation.
"On behalf of the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of southern Sudan for a successful and inspiring referendum in which an overwhelmingly majority of voters chose independence," Obama said.
"I am therefore pleased to announce the intention of the United States to formally recognise southern Sudan as a sovereign, independent state in July 2011," he added in a statement.
Final results from Sunday's historic independence referendum showed 98.83 per cent of its people had voted for the south to secede from Khartoum.
"After decades of conflict, the images of millions of southern Sudanese voters deciding their own future was an inspiration to the world and another step forward in Africa's long journey toward justice and democracy," Obama said.
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"Now, all parties have a responsibility to ensure that this historic moment of promise becomes a moment of lasting progress."
