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| President Salva Kiir | |
|---|---|
| Name | Salva Kiir Mayardit |
| Office | President of South Sudan |
| Term start | 2011 |
| Predecessor | Position established |
| Birth date | 1951 |
| Birth place | Aweil, Bahr el Ghazal |
| Party | Sudan People's Liberation Movement |
| Spouse | Mary Ayen Mayardit |
President Salva Kiir
Salva Kiir Mayardit is a South Sudanese politician and former military commander who has served as the head of state of South Sudan since its independence in 2011. A key figure in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the Sudan People's Liberation Army, Kiir played a central role in the Second Sudanese Civil War and in negotiations culminating in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005), leading to the South Sudanese independence referendum, 2011. His leadership has been marked by state-building efforts, factional conflict, and contentious relations with neighboring states and international organizations.
Born in the Aweil region of Bahr el Ghazal in 1951, Kiir hails from the Dinka people community and the Keur Dinka clan networks that have been influential in Western Bahr el Ghazal. His early years coincided with the aftermath of the First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) and the emergence of movements such as the Anyanya. Kiir received limited formal schooling in local mission and provincial institutions before enrolling in military training linked to the Sudan Armed Forces and later to SPLA structures. He later attended military courses associated with foreign partners and regional training programs during the 1970s and 1980s alongside other SPLA leaders such as John Garang, Riek Machar, and William Nyuon.
Kiir joined the Sudan People's Liberation Army shortly after its formation in 1983 and rose through the ranks during the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005), serving in commands in Upper Nile, Jonglei, and Unity State. He participated in key operations and strategic realignments following the death of John Garang and navigated SPLA factionalism involving leaders like Riek Machar and Lam Akol. Kiir commanded forces during engagements near towns such as Malakal, Bentiu, and Bor and was involved in the SPLA's shift from guerrilla tactics to conventional deployments as the movement negotiated with the Government of Sudan under Omar al-Bashir. His military career also intersected with regional dynamics involving Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya, which hosted training, logistics, and mediation efforts.
Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2005), Kiir became President of the Government of Southern Sudan within the Autonomous Government of Southern Sudan structure, succeeding John Garang after the latter's death in the 2005 helicopter crash that also killed Jacob Jeremiah Deng. Kiir consolidated political authority through the Sudan People's Liberation Movement's institutions and patronage networks, engaging with figures such as Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, and Riek Machar in power-sharing arrangements. He steered the SPLM toward the South Sudanese independence referendum, 2011, coordinating with international actors including the African Union, the United Nations, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development.
Upon South Sudan's independence on 9 July 2011, Kiir became the first President of the new republic, inheriting state structures from the Government of Southern Sudan and facing challenges including oil revenue management tied to pipelines through Sudan and disputes with President Omar al-Bashir. His presidency has been punctuated by episodes of armed confrontation, notably the political schism and conflict with Riek Machar in 2013 that escalated into the South Sudanese Civil War (2013–2018), prompting mediation by leaders such as Intergovernmental Authority on Development mediators and host nations like Uganda and Ethiopia. Kiir has overseen multiple peace agreements, including the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan and the 2018 Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.
Kiir's domestic agenda has included efforts to build national institutions such as a presidential bureaucracy, security sector reforms involving the South Sudan People's Defence Forces, and initiatives on oil revenue and infrastructure involving firms from China and India. His administration pursued decentralization and administrative reorganizations that created new states, reshaping boundaries in areas including Jonglei, Upper Nile, and Western Bahr el Ghazal, which altered local power balances with actors like Dinka and Nuer leaders. Economic management under Kiir navigated challenges from fluctuating oil prices, disputes with Khartoum over transit fees, and humanitarian crises that triggered responses by United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), International Committee of the Red Cross, and non-governmental organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières.
Kiir's foreign policy engaged regional blocs and major powers, maintaining ties with Sudan despite disputes, seeking support from Uganda and Ethiopia for security cooperation, and courting China for investment in hydrocarbon projects. He interacted with multilateral institutions including the United Nations Security Council, the African Union Peace and Security Council, and donor states such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union for development assistance and sanctions relief. Diplomatic outreach also involved neighboring capitals such as Khartoum, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Juba's engagements with the Arab League on regional matters.
Kiir's tenure has drawn criticism from human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International over alleged abuses during the South Sudanese Civil War (2013–2018), including ethnic violence in Bentiu, Malakal, and Juba. Accusations include restrictions on political freedoms, detentions of opposition figures such as Riek Machar and members of the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, and controversial restructurings that intensified local conflicts. International investigations, including panels convened by the United Nations Human Rights Council, have documented alleged violations implicating senior officials and called for accountability measures debated in forums such as the United Nations Security Council and the African Union.
Category:Presidents of South Sudan