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Officials in southern Sudan have asked musicians and writers to compose a new national anthem. In January people in southern Sudan vote on whether they want independence from Khartoum.

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DAVID BARON: The people of southern Sudan are also getting ready for a key vote. Only they have to wait another six months and they won’t be voting for president. They’ll be voting in a referendum next January on whether southern Sudan should be independent. Rebels in the south fought the northern-based Sudanese government in a civil war that ended in 2005. The peace accord signed then calls for the referendum on independence. Officials in southern Sudan aren’t waiting for the outcome to start looking for a national anthem. They launched a competition this week. Hip hop artist K Deng, from the city of Juba in southern Sudan, says he’s planning to compose something for the contest.

K DENG:  The song will describe the history of our nation, the land exactly, and the importance of sacrifice, the heroes. These all things should be and that’s how I’m going to do it.

BARON:  The South Sudan National Anthem Committee has already chosen a title for the anthem. They say it will be called “Land of Cush.” That’s a reference to an ancient kingdom in southern Sudan. That sits well with some of the voters in southern Sudan.

MALE SPEAKER: What we should need in a national anthem is, we have to remember our history and especially the people. Because it was by the people that South Sudan is going to be a nation. It’s good to have an anthem so that it will tell the world that these people are organized and they will achieve their wishes.

BARON: But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There is no nation of South Sudan yet. The referendum on independence is not scheduled until January. So for now, Sudanese of the north and south will continue to have the same anthem. This one was chosen back in 1956. That’s when Sudan gained independence from Great Britain and Egypt.

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