The African Union (AU) said on Friday it welcomed the South Sudan as its 54th member state.

In accordance with the provisions of Article 29 (1) and (2) of the AU Constitutive Act, the pan-African bloc has received the requisite number of written communications supporting the admission of South Sudan.

The AU told Xinhua in a statement that a ceremony would be organized as soon as possible.

It said a communication has already been sent to the Republic of the South Sudan, all member states, permanent observers and international organizations informing them of the membership of South Sudan in the AU.